2016 Michigan Wolverines

Phall

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The Wolverines might be a palatable contender this season. The 1.5 polar maniac Jim Harbaugh needs little introduction as a coach and brings a lot of positive momentum into his second season. Michigan features a white quarterback, a first-round tight end, and one certifiable star DT on the other end of the ball. I count about ten total white starters on this depth chart for now.

OFFENSE

The team's biggest question mark according to media is still at quarterback. John O'Korn put up big stats a couple years ago as a freshman at Houston. He lost his job there midseaon, and after the OSU offensive coordinator took over Houston's reins in 2015, O'Korn opted for "Quarterback U," heh. He is still neck-and-neck with redshirt junior Wilton Speight, who has a huge frame but the NFL curse of a smaller arm and higher accuracy. Speight is a big body at 6'7 and isn't anyone's downgrade. You always want a bigger arm because accuracy might someday improve :rollseyes: Anyway, these two would-be studs are neck and neck at Michigan with another year of eligibility. As a fan of Michigan, I don't really care who wins out.

Former big dog QB recruit Zach Gentry apparently already lost the underclass QB battle during his redshirt year to fellow stud Alex Malzone. Zach is 6'7 and also a bit fit, so he's now on the tight end depth chart. If he makes it - great. If not, he should have picked about 85 other schools to throw, just in case. I'll be on the lookout for sure. And after him, pure five star Bieber-esque prospect Brandon Peters "should" probably redshirt this year but is in the pipes. Then, it's Dylan McCaffery (yes, that McCaffery) who is signed for Michigan in the class of 2017.

Tight ends have historically featured often both at Michigan and with Harbaugh. So, the first-team All-American grades on Jake Butt might not fall too short. Ian Bunting is a 6'7 endzone magnet, so expect him to inhale a couple of redzone scores this year too and moreso going forward. Gentry and true freshman Sean McKeon could sneak in something for their resumes.

The Wolverines fullbacks got 57 carries last year under Harbaugh, so hopefully Henry Poggi and redshirt junior Michael Hirsch (an Ivy League grad transfer recovering from chemotherapy) can smash home a couple scores. Both are redshirt juniors and have another (Khalid Hill) in equal depth chart standing for now.


DEFENSE

Michigan has an elite defense with a big teeming handful of future pros, led by the following non-whites: CB Jourdan Lewis, S/LB-ish Jabrill Peppers, DE Taco Charlton, DE Chris Wormley, and even DT Maurice Hurst. Despite those five black players who will be pros next year, the captain is walk-on white DT Ryan Glasgow. Glasgow is a huge stud who has fared even better than his older brother Graham, OL anchor for the previous 2ish years. Ryan Glasgow got knocked out toward the end of the season last year, and despite all that other beefcake, the Wolverines still kinda folded (despite mauling Florida in their bowl game). Matt Godin worked hard in the paint and he gets into this rotation too somewhere on the left side of the line. He's a redshirt junior who is auditioning for an invitation back next season: reports out of training camp indicate he is in line to get it. Chase Winovich is sort of a 3-4 linebacker who has beefed up enough to put his hand down in rotation and will do that often enough each game at maybe even start next season.

As for linebackers, Ben Gedeon inherits either the MIKE or WILL position. Gedeon reminds the pundits of Joe Bolden, who was good but not great as a three-year starter and eventual NFL roster camp body. Michael Wrobleski seems intent on earning a scholarship as a performance-driven walk-on. Exciting because he would play next year too!

No white players in the secondary save for Jordan Glasgow... no need to consider any Glasgow as a future contributor/starter/team leader.


FUTURE:

Harbaugh once said some ******** about Stanford being the impossible pinnacle. Let me go to the vault....

"Michigan is a good school, and I got a good education there," he said, "but the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they're in, they steer them to courses in sports communications."

Times have changed. No one on campus resents Harbaugh for punching someone in the face in front of a camera, and no one minds anymore that these players aren't "future doctors" lol. No one in this current recruiting class is going to be doing any neurosurgery, or even macrosurgery one Bacon away.

Harbaugh recruited 5 out of 19 whites in this first incomplete class and has six out of 20 whites coming in currently... all at the usual positions. QB, OL OG, TE, every other year there's a kicker
and an angry randy athlete "LB"!!!

perhaps he has a great system where doctors come on as preferred walk-ons and he lets his wife... oh stop. i don't care about this sport anymore.

Likely Starters (and eventual contributors)

QB: John O'Korn/Wilton Speight
FB: Henry Poggi (Michael Hirsch)
OT: Ben Bredeson, Erick Magnuson
OG: Kyle Kalis, Ben Braden
C: Mason Cole, (Patrick Kugler)
TE: Jake Butt (Ian Bunting), (Sean McKeon), (Zach Gentry)

DE: (Chase Winovich)
DT: Ryan Glasgow, (Matt Godin)
MIL: Ben Gedeon (Mike Wrobleski)
WILL: (Jared Wangler)

S: (Jordan Glasgow)

On the fringes:
`walk-on junior Mike Wrobleski is in the linebacker mix, eternally-converted linebacker Wyatt Shallman must force a couple fumbles or go toward his next career
`walk-on sophomore Jordan Glasgow should get mentioned twice despite being a white safety
`Matt Godin, walk-on junior, was on this block but apparently he crushed his opponents so hard during practice that he remains a true redshirt junior and will even play a lot this year
`true freshman Ben Bredeson is beating out sumo David Dawson so no big deal but put him inside next year or he's been a useless bust (not a "sumo" by definition but no LT)
 
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Leonardfan

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Always glad to read your annual UM write-up.

Glasgow was sorely missed last year after his injury. He is the best dlineman on the team. Perhaps if he had a spray tan and his name was Taco he would be getting some 1st round consideration.

Over the past few days I have noticed some decommits from UM by recruits and affletes which is a good thing:

Michigan four-star 2018 G Jalil Irvin decommitted.

Irvin posted to Twitter that he wasn't ruling Michigan out completely, calling them his "dream school," but noted that he just wanted to take a step back to survey his options. Fair enough given that the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is still about a year-and-a-half from 2018's National Signing Day. 247Sports' composite ranks him as the No. 12 guard in his class.

Michigan freshman WR Ahmir Mitchell will transfer.

"I will like to announce that I am hearby reopening my recruitment to all Universities and football programs," Mitchell wrote on social media. The former four-star recruit was already out suspended for reasons unknown. Should the 6-foot-3, 206-pounder make his transfer decision in rapid order, he could take a redshirt in 2016 and be set to contribute in 2017.

Michigan four-star 2017 DT Aubrey Solomon decommitted.

File this one away under "Strange Recruiting Snafus." Solomon surprised those close to him by committing to the Wolverines after a June unofficial -- the Wolverines were outside of his five favorite programs at the time of his trip. All held steady for the next two months, but the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder recently received a "Thank You" note from Michigan for his attendance at a barbecue which he did not actually attend. Said Solomon, "I do not know which recruit they were talking to, but it was not me. It was just a little heartbreaking, for me to supposedly be so high on their list, for them to confuse me with someone else." Not only did they send out the note erroneously, they spelled both his first and last name wrong. Solomon said that he still plans on taking an official visit to Michigan, so there might be time for HC Jim Harbaugh to yet clear up this silliness.
 

Phall

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With three games in the books, the Wolverines are already trending a bit darker than I'd hoped.

At fullback, Khalid Hill has been named starter over Henry Poggi. Hill has been blocking well and probably won't be ceding the position.

True freshman Ben Bredeson was penciled in at left tackle before the season started, but redshirt sophomore David Dawson got the starting nod at the last minute and seems to be grading out fine there. Looking at the depth chart, Michigan won't have five white o-linemen again anytime soon.

On a positive note, redshirt sophomore Chase Winovich has been outstanding in two spots starts, replacing the injured Taco Charlton. Winovich, a converted linebacker, is so effective rushing the passer that he now puts his arm down on every snap despite being small for the position at 6'3, 245 lbs. Charlton is due to return soon, but this little stretch has been encouraging for future depth charts as well as this year's rotation.

Ben Gedeon had 12 tackles and a sack this weekend and has been a pleasant surprise since inheriting the middle linebacker role. He may sneak into the later half of the NFL draft this spring, currently projecting somewhere between former Wolverines Joe Bolden (undrafted camp body) and Jake Ryan (starting Packers linebacker).

Regarding recruiting: Harbaugh recently "suggested" that legacy TE Carter Dunaway look elsewhere, so he joins the longer-than-usual list of decommitments for next season. Dunaway also has a brother currently playing for Michigan as a walk-on; seems like Harbaugh wants to aim a little higher with his scholarships than a 3-star lunchpail kinda guy. This lowers the Wolverines 2017 class to 5 caste position whites out of 17 commitments, with very few others on the board for a class that could hit 30. The group could be redeemed if speedy Iowa receiver Oliver Martin signs on - he would be Michigan's first white scholarship receiver since the Rich Rodriguez era.
 

Heretic

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Regarding recruiting: Harbaugh recently "suggested" that legacy TE Carter Dunaway look elsewhere, so he joins the longer-than-usual list of decommitments for next season. Dunaway also has a brother currently playing for Michigan as a walk-on; seems like Harbaugh wants to aim a little higher with his scholarships than a 3-star lunchpail kinda guy. This lowers the Wolverines 2017 class to 5 caste position whites out of 17 commitments, with very few others on the board for a class that could hit 30. The group could be redeemed if speedy Iowa receiver Oliver Martin signs on - he would be Michigan's first white scholarship receiver since the Rich Rodriguez era.
I'm hoping Oliver goes to Notre Dame, Iowa, or Wisconsin. I respect Harbaugh for his X's and O's capability and for his ability to develop quarterbacks and motivate his players, but he over-recruits and has no problem telling an already-committed recruit to re-open his recruitment process because he is no longer considering him. He did that to a White OL recruit last year who had to de-commit and then land somewhere else. I don't want that to happen to a White WR, he'd probably never be able to land at another FBS program, at least one deserving of his production and skill set.
 
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celticdb15

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I'm hoping Oliver goes to Notre Dame, Iowa, or Wisconsin. I respect Harbaugh for his X's and O's capability and for his ability to develop quarterbacks and motivate his players, but he over-recruits and has no problem telling an already-committed recruit to re-open his recruitment process because he is no longer considering him. He did that to a White OL recruit last year who had to de-commit and then land somewhere else. I don't want that to happen to a White WR, he'd probably never be able to land at another FBS program, at least one deserving of his production and skill set.

Good point but I'd drop Notre Dame altogethe as I feel they're liable to over recruit as well. They haven't had a white WR star for them since Samardzija if I'm not mistaken . Iowa and Wisconsin two really great programs that excel at developing talent and have proven track record of playing white wrs last few years.
 
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