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gschwendt
08-20-2012, 03:36 PM
With the 2012 season officially in the books, it's time for us to start looking towards next season and how the roster shakes out. While obviously nothing is set in stone and there is still work to be done on the recruiting trail, this is how we can see it shaping up. All evaluations and player ratings are prior to spring practices.

OFFENSE


Quarterbacks
With the loss of Denard Robinson to graduation, Michigan is obviously looking for a replacement. Devin Gardner returns for his senior season, however scouts are questioning his throwing abilities. While is arm is very strong, his accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. That said, in his time on the field during 2012, he performed better than expected completing 62% of his passes along with 12 passing touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
He will be challenged by two Freshman players, Kevin Jones and Bryce Weaver. Jones is the most electric player not only at QB but also in the entire class. Not only does he have good speed and running abilities, he also has excellent abilities to get away from a tackle. Added that his throwing abilities are better than expected and he stands a great chance to challenge Gardner for the starting role.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
AGI
ACC
THP
THA
BTK
ELU
CAR


QB1a
Devin Gardner
rSR
83
89
89
93
94
73
76
78
77


QB1b
Kevin Jones
FR
81
88
84
85
89
81
75
85
80


QB3
Bryce Weaver
FR
73
88
77
86
86
74
71
43
89




Halfbacks
Fitzgerald Toussaint was the work-horse of the Michigan offense carrying the ball just over 200 times during his Junior season. While his yards didn't account for as much as the Wolverines would have hoped, he did come on late in the season giving hope that he'll be a stud in 2013.
With the loss of Vincent Smith to graduation, the backup role will be a competition. Competing for that spot will be redshirt Sophomore Thomas Rawls and Freshman Tom Davis. Rawls lacks explosive speed but is a bruising running back that can pick up yards and also has good hands to hold onto the ball. Davis comes in with questions marks surrounding him. He comes in highly touted but all the while not everything is known about him to this point. Once he gets on campus, things should be clearer for the staff.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
AGI
ACC
BTK
TRK
ELU
CAR


HB1
Fitzgerald Toussaint
rSR
89
89
85
90
86
76
85
86


HB2a
Thomas Rawls
rSO
79
86
80
89
76
84
69
81


HB2b
Tom Davis
FR
77
B
C
87
77
B
C
72




Wide Receivers
Wide Receivers saw a much expanded role late in the 2012 season as a revamped Michigan offense sought to get them the ball. Roy Roundtree became the go-to guy and rightfully so. However, with him graduation, Jeremy Gallon will have to step up into that role but appears ready to do so. Behind him Juniors Drew Dileo and Jeremy Jackson will compete for a starting role... the other of which will sit out 2013 to allow them another year on campus. For the Y, look for Justice Hayes to move from HB to WR allowing a more electric player in the slot.
Behind those three spots, it's expected to be an open competition. Perhaps the only guaranteed spot will go to Sophomore recruit Justin Austin. Outside of him, look for Sophomore newcomer Bo Thomas, redshirt Sophomore Jonathan Keizer, and redshirt Junior Jerald Robinson to all compete for a role.


Depth
Player
Yr
Ht
OVR
SPD
ACC
CTH
SPC
CIT
RTE
REL


X1
Jeremy Gallon
rSR
5'8
88
92
92
85
80
80
85
73


X2
Justin Austin
SO
6'1
78
84
82
75
87
83
85
83


Z1
Jeremy Jackson
JR
6'3
79
85
91
81
73
73
85
74


Z2
Jonathan Keizer
rFR
6'5
74
87
86
73
64
75
80
75


Y1
Justice Hayes
rSO
5'10
75
91
92
71
67
65
74
73


Y2
Jerald Robinson
rSO
6'1
77
89
93
71
71
61
80
62




Tight Ends
The Tight End position has become an important role in the Michigan offense and with the departure of Brandon Moore, the starting position will be up for grabs. Sophomore Devin Funchess is primed for the position, however lacks the all-important blocking abilities. As a result, he might find himself splitting time with redshirt Junior Dylan Esterline, a better blocker, though without the catching abilities of Funchess. Added, Michigan is hoping to add at least another player during the recruiting process.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
PBK
RBK
IBL
CTH
SPC
CIT
RTE


TE1
Devin Funchess
SO
74
67
63
64
83
80
75
82


TE2
Dylan Esterline
rJR
73
69
72
72
70
71
72
71




Offensive Tackle
Assuming everyone returns, the Wolverines will be in an extremely good position at Offensive Tackle. Redshirt Seniors Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield are stud book-ends that will be clear starters in 2013. Redshirt Junior Kristian Mateus and redshirt Sophomore Chris Bryant are expected to fill out the two deep. If either senior does venture into the NFL early, redshirt Freshman Blake Bars will be called upon in a backup role.


Depth
Player
Yr

Ht
Wt
OVR
STR
RBK
PBK
IBL


LT1
Taylor Lewan
rSR
6'8
302
93
93
92
92
91


LT2
Kristian Mateus
rJR
6'7
285
79
84
86
83
80


LT3
Blake Bars
rFR
6'5
275
73
73
78
82
79


RT1
Michael Schofield
rSR
6'7
299
88
87
93
86
85


RT2
Chris Bryant
rFR
6'4
341
78
93
85
77
81




Offensive Guard
Unfortunately, the Wolverines aren't in as solid shape that Guard position as they are at Tackle. With the top two Guards leaving, unproven players will have to step in and perform. True Freshman Cornelius McCarthy appears to be the next great Michigan blocker and will undoubtedly start his first year on campus. After him, the Wolverines have solid run-blockers that struggle in the passing game. Expected to fill the other Guard spot will be redshirt Junior Erik Gunderson, however look for redshirt Sophomore Graham Glasgow to also compete or certainly contribute significantly.


Depth
Player
Yr
Ht
Wt
OVR
STR
RBK
PBK
IBL


LG1
Cornelius McCarthy
FR
6'0
294
82
85
85
85
80


LG2
Graham Glasgow
rSO
6'6
314
77
87
84
77
82


RG1
Erik Gunderson
rSR
6'8
312
79
89
86
79
82


RG2
Kyle Kalis
rFR
6'5
305
73
85
81
74
74




Centers
Center is another position that loses the starter as Ricky Barnum is graduating. The only returning player at the position is redshirt Junior Joey Burzynski, however due to his lack of experience, Burzynski will likely find himself in a backup role. Look for Freshman Tackle Jeff Petty to move over to provide a starter for the foreseeable future. Additionally, true Freshman Antonio Garrison comes onto campus as a solid run-blocker but leaves a lot to be desired as a pass blocker.


Depth
Player
Yr
Ht
Wt
OVR
STR
RBK
PBK
IBL


C1
Jeff Petty
FR
6'7
269
78
86
83
80
86


C2
Joey Burzynski
rJR
6'1
284
74
80
80
80
75





DEFENSE


Defensive Ends
Craig Roh leaving puts Michigan behind the eight-ball at Defensive End. Without Roh, their 3-3-5 defense loses a pass-rusher along the defensive line. As a result, likely the Wolverines will be looking at putting block-eaters in their front three. Look for Senior Jibreel Black to find himself as one of the Ends with his solid strength, however don't expect him to record very many sacks or tackles for loss. Opposite him will likely be redshirt Freshman Tom Strobel who will have to mature in a hurry but does have a raw talent to get into the backfield. Behind those two, the picture becomes murky with no one immediately ready to lead the charge. More or less by default, look for redshirt Senior Nathan Brink and redshirt Freshman Mario Ojemudia to fill out the remainder of the depth chart. That said, don't rule out the Wolverines finding a late addition to their recruiting class at Defensive End.


Depth
Player
Yr
Ht
Wt
OVR
STR
PMV
FMV
TKL
PUR


LE1
Jibreel Black
SR
6'2
260
76
84
62
62
77
73


LE2
Nathan Brink
rSR
6'5
263
78
77
76
69
82
76


RE1
Tom Strobel
rFR
6'5
255
71
76
83
76
70
87


RE2
Mario Ojemudia
rFR
6'2
222
71
73
78
72
71
71




Defensive Tackles
Defensive Tackle also has a hole to fill as William Campbell will be gone. Expected to fill his role will be redshirt Senior Quinton Washington with his big body and good strength though don't be surprised to see redshirt Junior Richard Ash or redshirt Freshman Ondre Pipkins to provide a competition.


Depth
Player
Yr
Ht
Wt
OVR
STR
PMV
TKL
PUR


DT1
Quinton Washington
rSR
6'4
302
77
86
73
78
77


DT2
Richard Ash
rJR
6'3
301
74
86
70
80
73


DT3
Ondre Pipkins
rFR
6'2
325
72
88
73
76
70




Outside Linebackers
While no players will be lost to graduation, look for some fresh faces on the field at Outside Linebacker. True Freshman Seth Andrews will make his way to campus as a former Safety but will provide a much needed cover OLB for the Wolverines' 3-3-5. Opposite him, also look for a true Freshman, Thomas Cox. Cox is a prototypical hybrid DE/LB with the strength and moves of a DE but the tackling and coverage of a linebacker. Behind them, a make-shift depth chart will fill out but as well there might be a few role players to that will find playing time. Redshirt Junior Jake Ryan will return after an All-American season and play the backup Cover OLB, however expect his role to be more diminished. Redshirt Freshman Royce Jenkins-Stone will be slotted into the backup rush Linebacker and possibly look for Joe Bolden to move over from the Middle Linebacker spot, though that will likely depend on the rest of the recruiting class.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
STR
FMV
MCV
ZCV
TKL
PUR
PRC


LOLB1
Seth Andrews
FR
79
86
67
60
74
78
82
77
70


LOLB2
Jake Ryan
rJR
82
83
75
69
67
66
84
87
79


ROLB1
Thomas Cox
FR
78
75
78
75
71
71
84
85
81


ROLB2
Royce Jenkins-Stone
rFR
70
77
72
73
74
78
70
73
74




Middle Linebackers
Continuing the replacements story, Middle Linebacker loses a significant piece of the defense losing Kenny Demens. His replacement is expected to be Freshman Karl Brown, making the entire starting LB Corp true Freshman. Brown comes in as an all-around beast in the middle making it hard to keep him off the field. Challenging him for the starting role will be Junior Desmond Morgan who would move over from the OLB position with redshirt Senior Mike Jones providing depth at the position.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
STR
FMV
MCV
ZCV
TKL
PUR
PRC


MLB1
Karl Brown
FR
79
85
80
73
70
63
78
85
80


MLB2
Desmond Morgan
JR
84
84
73
68
59
72
87
88
78


MLB3
Mike Jones
rSR
79
83
74
76
63
67
80
83
78




Cornerbacks
Looking for another replacement, Michigan loses JT Floyd at the corner position, however Junior Blake Countess returns after an excellent 2012 season. Filling Floyd's open position, expect Senior Courtney Avery to slide back over from Strong Safety to the second Cornerback and expect the defense to not miss a beat. Behind them, expect true Freshmen Thomas Torres and Brandon Thompson to contribute significantly.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
AGI
ACC
MCV
ZCV
PRS


CB1
Blake Countess
JR
84
90
89
90
81
90
80


CB2
Courtney Avery
SR
81
90
88
90
86
90
76


CB3
Thomas Torres
FR
76
93
90
89
85
81
80


CB4
Brandon Thompson
FR
74
91
92
90
80
83
83




Strong Safety
While the defense does lose Jordan Kovacs at Strong Safety and Avery moves from SS to CB, they do not have an empty cupboard for 2013. The Wolverines plan to move redshirt Senior Free Safety Thomas Gordon down to replace Kovacs as the Predator Safety. At the Cover Safety, look for Junior Raymon Taylor to get more playing time than 2012. Behind them, redshirt Junior Marvin Robinson will fill a role as a Predator and true Freshman Dominique Wilson will likely redshirt but could be called upon to contribute at the Cover.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
AGI
ACC
MCV
ZCV
TKL
PUR
PRC


Pred1
Thomas Gordon
rSR
84
88
84
87
72
82
84
86
82


Pred2
Marvin Robinson
rSR
78
88
88
87
68
77
78
84
73


Cov1
Raymon Taylor
JR
77
90
92
89
82
84
71
82
74


Cov2
Dominique Wilson
FR
78
94
82
93
85
84
72
75
78




Free Safety
With Gordon moving down to the Predator, Free Safety looks to find a new centerfielder. At this point, the position is up in the air depending on how the Wolverines plan play the Free Safety position. Poised to take that role will likely be redshirt Junior Josh Furman who moves over from the Strong Safety position. Furman comes ready to play, though lacks the true Zone Coverage abilities that Michigan would like. Challenging him will be true Freshman Jake Marks. Marks also is solid at the position and has the Zone Coverage needed, but lacks all manner of Man Coverage ability which would limit the Wolverines Cover 0 zone blitzes.


Depth
Player
Yr
OVR
SPD
ACC
MCV
ZCV
TKL
PUR
PRC


FS1a
Josh Furman
rJR
78
88
94
65
76
80
86
70


FS1b
Jake Marks
FR
73
91
90
53
84
72
75
63


FS3
Al Backey
rSR
65
92
92
71
76
61
59
68

ryby6969
08-20-2012, 05:33 PM
That is quite a few young guys on defense G. Could be a rough year up in Ann Arbor unless those Freshmen step up in a big way.

gschwendt
08-20-2012, 05:39 PM
That is quite a few young guys on defense G. Could be a rough year up in Ann Arbor unless those Freshmen step up in a big way.
True, but better to be young and talented in all the right ways than old and stumbling over yourself. The Wolverines expect little to no drop-off from the 2012 campaign though the Quarterback position will certainly determine whether it's feast or famine.

ryby6969
08-20-2012, 05:47 PM
Yeah, you should definitely have a nice linebacking corp in a few seasons, but will be interesting to see how they do this early.

JeffHCross
08-20-2012, 08:28 PM
http://www.rivalryrags.com/system/design/image/18/rivalry_rags_-_muck_fichigan_small_image.jpg?1205978708
http://www.deadschembechlers.com/images/discography/dont_give_a_damn.jpg
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/233/1330023-justin_dewiel_large.jpg

texacotea
08-21-2012, 05:29 AM
I approve of this ^^^^ post

JeffHCross
08-22-2012, 12:39 AM
G, it's going to be an interesting year for us both. Losing the freshmen DT to a transfer (wtf) really killed some of my positioning, so now I'm scrambling to do enough position changes to cover all 11 positions on defense. You look like you're somewhat doing the same ... but it also looks like you have better incoming recruits than I do. Going to be a very interesting year.