2018 Michigan Season thread

[Anonymous Coward]

I also expect to see a *lot* of formations with Dwumfour and Solomon simultaneously inside.

[Mdot21]

If I'm wrong, the outlook for Michigan is amazing, but I can't yet imagine anyone except Carlo Kemp as Gary's back-up.

Mattison has said Kemp has moved inside.
Mattison also seems enamored with Hutchinson. I think he's a safe bet to play as a true frosh. Might even wind up as the back-up to Gary at SDE and be counted on to start in 2019 once Gary leaves for the NFL draft. Mattison keeps raving about the kid.

The defense should be really good. That entire two deep is back and then you have 2nd year guys who have made a lot of noise in spring and summer like Ambry Thomas, JKP, and Brad Hawkins. According to Chris Partridge, Hawkins was the highest graded safety by the staff the last 4 practices of spring. They also have the grad transfer from Utah, Casey Hughes who has a ton of experience and has been getting reps at both nickel and safety. Hopefully Hawkins or Hughes can make a push and unseat Josh Mettellus at safety. He was the real weak link of that defense last year. Well he and Mike McCray. Both of them struggled a lot in man coverage. Devil Gil is a former HS safety and Josh Ross has been described as a freak athlete by the insiders. Probably safe to say both are more athletic and fluid in space than Mike McCray. And as far as Hawkin, JKP, and Hughes go, all 3 are way better athletes than Josh Mettellus has ever been accused of being.

That defense had so many young players starting or as back-ups. They should only be that much better. And they'll have more depth along the DL with guys coming back from injury and coming off their redshirts. More talented bodies there means more competition which should mean a deeper and better DL.

Most of the starting positions are pretty much set on that defense, will be interesting to see who wins the LB battle between Devin Gil and Josh Ross.

[Mdot21]

fall roster up:

https://mgoblue.com/roster.aspx?path=football


true frosh Aidan Hutchinson shows up to fall camp at 6'6, 268 and true frosh from Germany Julius Welschof shows up 6'6, 253.

true frosh OL Jalen Mayfield comes in at 6'5, 296. At that size he just might wind up playing as a true frosh. I know the guys over a 247 liked him a lot more than ESPN and Rivals. One of the things holding him back from maybe playing early was his size. He was only 270ish. He's put on a lot of weight in the last year. 

edit: no Tyrone Wheatley Jr or Kekoa Crawford on the roster. Sounds like TWJr is officially gone, no word on Crawford but that seems likely.

[Anonymous Coward]

I fully expected Kekoa to transfer; it's really for the best. I hope the TWJr news is untrue, though. Michigan's use of TEs will be soooo different than in 2015/2016 with Asiasi and now his big in-line frame gone as well. I know he was struggling with injuried, but I'm still clinging to maybe. I want him back.

[Temp430]

Rumor is Wheatley Jr. did not put the work in over the Summer and is over 300 lbs. looking like a OT or DT.

[Anonymous Coward]

Rumor is Wheatley Jr. did not put the work in over the Summer and is over 300 lbs. looking like a OT or DT.

Yeah sounds like he's an OT now but refused to switch. He has always battled his weight. Will he transfer or just be done with football?

[HailHailMSP]

Wheatley looked over 300 last year. The big TE loss was Asiasi last year. He fit the system so well

[Mdot21]

Wheatley looked over 300 last year. The big TE loss was Asiasi last year. He fit the system so well

yeah Asiasi was a blocking machine and surprisingly nimble for a 6'3, 275 pound guy. He was the best blocking TE on the team by far. Really sucked to lose him.

[ELA]

South Bend for the first Gameday itnis

[Anonymous Coward]

I haven't seen that quote from GMatt on Carlo - I.E., I haven't seen a quote calling him a full time inside lineman, only in the sense that he's sometimes positioned there, much like Gary who is the same weight sometimes is. 

And on Friday, mgoblog continued to report him as a SDE. So you could still be right but it's not obviously the case. Kemp would be by far the smallest tackle on the roster. Absent a solid GMatt quote, I'll just wait to see.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: GameDay, I wonder if the campus versus neutral site aspect was decisive.

[Anonymous Coward]

He may be a hack but its content and not terrible:
CFB's Top 50 players per Kiper:
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24264151/college-football-preseason-player-rankings-ed-oliver-leads-way
Michigan with 3 of the Top 25 and 4 overall. I'm no doubt biased but it seems fair.

[ELA]

Eddie McDoom has left the team.

Means a RB, 3 WR and a TE from the 2016 class are now gone.

[Anonymous Coward]

From Don Brown today: "Carlo Kemp we've moved full time inside."

So step on up, MDot, for a tip of my cap.