reuben jones
Previously: Podcast 8.0. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End And Friends. Offensive Line.
QB having a bad time [Bryan Fuller]
Depth Chart
STRONG DE | Yr. | NOSE TACKLE | Yr. | 3-TECH | Yr. | WEAK DE | Yr. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rashan Gary | Fr. | Ryan Glasgow | Sr.* | Chris Wormley | Sr.* | Taco Charlton | Sr. |
Lawrence Marshall | So.* | Bryan Mone | So.* | Maurice Hurst | So.* | Chase Winovich | So.* |
Carlo Kemp | Fr. | Michael Dwumfour | Fr. | Matt Godin | Sr.* | Reuben Jones | Fr.* |
Amongst other far more important things, DJ Durkin's departure means the end of the irritating "buck" terminology. Michigan spent all off-season talking about this crazy DE/LB hybrid who would do all sorts of things at the WDE spot. They tried that against Utah, discovered that Mario Ojemudia was as good a linebacker hybrid as Craig Roh, and settled into a completely standard 4-3 for the rest of the season. (Yes, Michigan was "multiple" as all defenses are; all non 4-3 sets were exotic changeups.)
Michigan will continue with a bog-standard 4-3 this year, especially after Taco Charlton officially moved to weakside end in fall camp. There's zero reason to drop any of Michigan's defensive ends into coverage except as a very rare curveball.
Because when they are in coverage they are not feasting on souls, as one does.
WEAKSIDE DEFENSIVE END: IN SOVIET RUSSIA, TACO EATS YOU
Ah, screw it.
Rating: 5
a bad time [Eric Upchurch]
TACO CHARLTON doesn't have the kind of returning production that generally warrants a FIVE out of FIVE ranking in this here preview, but counting stats, man. Counting stats. Because of the "buck" dream, Charlton got locked behind Chris Wormley until late in the year despite performing excellently in limited opportunities. This persisted so deep into the season that James Ross was called on to play WDE against Minnesota. It went badly; Charlton finally got a run out at his destination this season in the aftermath.
So while Charlton acquired a modest 5.5 sacks and 8.5 TFLs, that was on just 43% of Michigan's snaps. A version of Charlton who gets 75% of Michigan's snaps instead of 43% has a 10 sack, 15 TFL season(!). And extrapolating those numbers linearly may actually understate his production: PFF has him the #1 returning end in pass-rush productivity. Number one. As in there are no better numbers to be:
After compiling only 11 pressures on 120 rushes in 2014, Charlton notched six sacks, nine QB hits, and 26 hurries (41 total pressures) on 229 rushes last season.
The #1 pass rush DE in the nation is almost certainly optimistic, but Charlton isn't an average player trying to get better. He's a very good player who is about to inherit a bunch more snaps.
In addition to already being pretty good, Charlton retains considerable upside. He didn't redshirt because reasons. He came to Michigan with a reputation as a sushi-raw moldable athlete, and despite making massive progress over the last three years the NFL still looks at him in the same way. Brugler:
Charlton certainly passes the eye test with a tall, long frame with a moldable body type to bulk up or slim down. … With his combination of strength, length and long-striding acceleration, there aren't many college offensive tackles who can control him, but scouts are looking for improved hand use at the top of his rush. Regardless, the traits make him a very attractive lump of clay that NFL teams will want to develop.
NFL.com listed Charlton amongst the top NFL prospects to watch going into this season because of his "freaky athletic traits and functional power to go with them".
Charlton can be capital-E Elite because his package of speed around the edge…
…and pocket-crushing strength…
…adds up to a tough handle for most OTs. Charlton's mostly a power rusher; the speed is more about getting to OL quickly and then using that power. He doesn't go around guys, but he's able to get upfield fast enough that a rip back inside is extremely viable.
He was also agile enough to deploy the occasional spin move in this situation. His combo of speed and power also made him a valuable bit of Michigan's stunt game a year ago. He was able to get to the point the drive man cleared out and power through an out of position OL with frequency. Charlton brings raw power not far off Hurst and Wormley; many of his rushes last year featured him pushing the pocket closed.
ESPN has a good summary:
Power-based bass rusher that does a good job of using his long arms and explosive power to get into offensive linemen's pads, and then grinds through contact. Shows above average torso flexibility and strength to work through blockers while engaged. Keeps his feet and hands moving throughout. Flashes a quick inside move to cross the OT's face. Developing an effective push-pull move late in 2015. Lacks elite speed off the edge but shows above average closing burst. … Has some shock in hands. Should continue to improve array of pass rush moves because he has the required violent hands.
Brugler says he can "convert his edge speed to power before blockers are able to sink and anchor" and praises his overall strength and power before critiquing his hand usage. You can't teach the former. You can teach the latter.
The flip side of Charlton's remaining potential is the fact that he's not quite there yet. When we get to Ryan Glasgow in a bit I'll note that I didn't clip anything resembling a mental error from him over the course of the season. The same cannot be said for Charlton. Here he's to the top of the Michigan DL and seems to forget that he's part of a stunt and needs to contain Hackenberg:
He would occasionally hesitate, unsure of what to do, and get blocked as a result. He wasn't great at keeping smaller guys away from his knees. He was more prone to pick up a minus than Wormley or Glasgow. ESPN's profile notes that Charlton "needs to be more disciplined with gap assignments" and is "occasionally late locating the ball," and both of those critiques are on point. When NFL guys note his rawness they're not wrong.
Or at least they were not wrong when talking about Charlton's junior year. After a spring where he was close to unblockable and a fall camp that generated torrents of hype, it's clear everyone around the program expects him to blow up. That includes Charlton himself:
When you’re rushing against [Bredeson], not to say that he gives you problems, but is there anything that he does that maybe is a challenge for you, specifically?
[smiles wide]
I don’t want you to dog a guy, but what is it he does that’s good?
“He’s a guy who has good hands, strong hands. Once he latches on to you he does cause problems getting off. But for me…”
[smiles again]
Meanwhile the insiders are like dang. Lorenz says Charlton is "in line to blow up"; Webb has repeatedly referenced Charlton, not Wormley or Glasgow or Hurst or Mone, as Michigan's most impressive defensive lineman in fall camp. It's to the point where Webb is talking about Chris Wormley like this:
The newly crowned captain has taken his game up a notch, and after Charlton he has arguably been the top performing defensive lineman.
If Taco Charlton is better than Chris Wormley this year, quarterbacks might as well show up wearing a jersey that reads "MEAT PASTE."
It's tough to project Charlton's numbers since there are only so many counting stats to go around and Michigan's entire front seven will clamor for them. Really good DEs can get shut out through vagaries of circumstance—Bosa had just five sacks a year ago. Charlton should get a ton of pressures, many of which turn into numbers. Double digit sacks are a strong possibility, and those TFL numbers should easily crest double digits and approach 20. He won't last long in the draft.
[After THE JUMP: Some guy. Rashad? Something like that. ]
You can jump now Steve:
Michigan has finally posted their rosters with new weights and freshman numbers and such. I haven't included spring weights this year since they didn't update those on the roster; listed weights as recruits or early enrollees are in the 2015 column, with the recruits in parentheses. The exits of Canteen and Pallante have been covered.
Remember the rules:
- All weight gain is burly muscle that won't slow them down AT ALL
- All weight loss is a guy in the best shape of his life who's going to do crazy fast things as his new svelte self.
NEW RULE FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF HARBAUGH:
- Believe any of it at your own risk. Harbaugh wouldn't hesitate to list Nate Johnson 6'11"/375 pounds if he thought the confusion might gain a yard this year.
TO THE SPREADSHEETS:
Quarterbacks | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Shane Morris | 201 | 204 | 209 | 208 | 213 | +3 | +4 | +5 |
Wilton Speight | 234 | 235 | 239 | 243 | +5 | +4 | ||
Alex Malzone | 218 | 222 | 224 | +2 | ||||
John O'Korn | 209 | 215 | +6 | |||||
Brandon Peters | 205 | 216 | +11 | |||||
Running Backs | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Drake Johnson | 213 | 211 | 207 | 210 | 201 | -2 | -1 | -9 |
De'Veon Smith | 224 | 220 | 228 | 228 | 228 | -4 | +8 | - |
Ty Isaac | 225 | 240 | 228 | 230 | +3 | +2 | ||
Karan Higdon | 190 | 189 | 189 | - | ||||
Kareem Walker | 210 | 207 | -3 | |||||
Chris Evans | (181) | 200 | (+19) | |||||
Kingston Davis | 225 | 245 | +20 | |||||
Fullbacks | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Bobby Henderson | 227 | 236 | 240 | 245 | 242 | +9 | +9 | -3 |
Khalid Hill | 258 | 252 | 252 | 263 | 263 | -6 | +11 | - |
Henry Poggi | 260 | 270 | 273 | 266 | 257 | +10 | -4 | -9 |
Receivers | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Amara Darboh | 212 | 211 | 216 | 215 | 215 | -1 | +4 | - |
Jehu Chesson | 196 | 197 | 207 | 200 | 203 | +1 | +3 | +3 |
Drake Harris | 176 | 174 | 181 | 188 | +5 | +7 | ||
Maurice Ways | 195 | 205 | 210 | 217 | +15 | +7 | ||
Grant Perry | 185 | 184 | 196 | +12 | ||||
Kekoa Crawford | (175) | 195 | (+20) | |||||
Ahmir Mitchell | 205 | 205 | - | |||||
Nate Johnson | (174) | 185 | (+11) | |||||
Eddie McDoom | (170) | 180 | (+10) | |||||
Tight Ends | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Jake Butt | 237 | 249 | 248 | 250 | 250 | +12 | +1 | - |
Ian Bunting | 227 | 243 | 252 | 252 | +25 | - | ||
Tyrone Wheatley | 260 | 291 | 276 | -15 | ||||
Zach Gentry | 230 | 244 | 244 | - | ||||
Nick Eubanks | (208) | 236 | (+28) | |||||
Devin Asiasi | (253) | 287 | (+34) | |||||
Sean McKeon | 230 | 240 | +10 | |||||
Offensive Line | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Kyle Kalis | 302 | 298 | 292 | 305 | 305 | -4 | +7 | - |
Erik Magnuson | 285 | 294 | 296 | 305 | 305 | +9 | +11 | - |
Ben Braden | 318 | 322 | 331 | 322 | 335 | +4 | - | +13 |
Patrick Kugler | 287 | 299 | 297 | 302 | 303 | +12 | +3 | +1 |
David Dawson | 297 | 296 | 309 | 316 | 325 | -1 | +20 | +9 |
Mason Cole | 292 | 287 | 305 | 305 | +13 | - | ||
J. Bushell-Beatty | 319 | 319 | 325 | 311 | +6 | -14 | ||
Grant Newsome | 280 | 300 | 318 | +18 | ||||
Jon Runyan Jr. | 275 | 304 | 304 | - | ||||
Nolan Ulizio | 293 | 291 | 291 | - | ||||
Michael Onwenu | (367) | 350 | (-17) | |||||
Stephen Spanellis | (330) | 335 | (+5) | |||||
Ben Bredeson | (280) | 310 | (+30) | |||||
Defensive Line | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Ryan Glasgow | 300 | 296 | 297 | 300 | 299 | -4 | +4 | -1 |
Chris Wormley | 289 | 295 | 300 | 303 | 302 | +6 | +8 | -1 |
Matthew Godin | 280 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 294 | +6 | +2 | +6 |
Taco Charlton | 270 | 275 | 273 | 285 | 272 | +5 | +10 | -13 |
Maurice Hurst | 270 | 282 | 281 | 282 | 282 | +12 | - | - |
Chase Winovich | 220 | 227 | 235 | 245 | +15 | +10 | ||
Lawrence Marshall | 241 | 238 | 250 | 268 | +9 | +18 | ||
Bryan Mone | 312 | 325 | 320 | 310 | +8 | -10 | ||
Shelton Johnson | 225 | 212 | 212 | - | ||||
Reuben Jones | 225 | 222 | 222 | - | ||||
M. Dwumfour | (282) | 300 | (+18) | |||||
Rashan Gary | (290) | 287 | (-3) | |||||
Ron Johnson | (221) | 245 | (+24) | |||||
Linebackers | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Mike McCray | 237 | 241 | 242 | 240 | 248 | +4 | -1 | +8 |
Ben Gedeon | 236 | 240 | 241 | 248 | 247 | +4 | +8 | -1 |
Wyatt Shallman | 237 | 239 | 244 | 245 | 242 | +2 | +6 | -3 |
Jabrill Peppers | 202 | 205 | 208 | 205 | +6 | -3 | ||
Noah Furbush | 210 | 217 | 242 | 238 | +32 | -4 | ||
Jared Wangler | 219 | 230 | 231 | 229 | +12 | -2 | ||
E. Mbem-Bosse | (228) | 215 | -13 | |||||
Carlo Kemp | 250 | 255 | +5 | |||||
Devin Gil | (204) | 230 | (+26) | |||||
Devin Bush Jr. | 220 | 232 | +12 | |||||
Josh Uche | (217) | 217 | ( – ) | |||||
Safeties | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Delano Hill | 205 | 205 | 204 | 212 | 215 | - | +7 | +3 |
Dymonte Thomas | 190 | 193 | 191 | 195 | 199 | +3 | +2 | +4 |
Tyree Kinnel | 200 | 201 | 206 | +5 | ||||
Khaleke Hudson | (204) | 205 | (+1) | |||||
Josh Metellus | (187) | 204 | (+17) | |||||
Cornerbacks | ||||||||
Player | 2013 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | 13 to 14 | 14 to 15 | 15 to 16 |
Jourdan Lewis | 170 | 175 | 176 | 175 | 186 | +5 | - | +11 |
Channing Stribling | 171 | 178 | 178 | 181 | 175 | +7 | +3 | -6 |
Jeremy Clark | 205 | 205 | 205 | 210 | 206 | - | +5 | -4 |
Brandon Watson | 188 | 189 | 191 | 203 | +3 | +12 | ||
Keith Washington | 175 | 170 | 170 | - | ||||
David Long | (170) | 187 | (+17) | |||||
Lavert Hill | (173) | 168 | (-5) |
[Things of GREAT IMPORTANT after the JUMP OF GREAT IMPORTANCE thing.]
Backed up near their end zone after a 4th down stop, with Brandon Peters under center, the white team is looking to catch the defense with some play-action. What they catch is a pretty simple blitz, an iffy matchup in pass pro that goes badly, and a true freshman running for his life in the endzone. Let's dig into it.
THE PLAY: A pretty normal Mike blitz that gets interesting in the details.
The MLB came up trying to time his blitz, then blitzed the frontside A gap. The SAM has the tight end (Y) in man to man, as do the CBs with their respective wide receivers, and the free safety is playing the deep cover. The WLB has a run gap, and the short middle zone (which ends up being the RB). On the other side the Rover (strong safety) is responsible for the fullback.
So this is a variant on the base cover 1 ("City" in Brown's 2013 Boston College playbook).
I think "TILT" means the SAM has the edge if the TE stays in to block, and the TE if he goes out in a pattern. But there was some weirdness here, because the T and A are going to end up in the same lane.
[After the JUMP: freshman going off script, two-gapping, or a DE option?]
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