Depth Chart By Class Updated
[Eric Upchurch]
An updateable version of this lives under useful stuff in perpetuity, but we bump a new copy of it to the front page annually to remind people it exists. Now it's more important than ever because it actually contains redshirt information, unlike the official roster.
Note that Otis Reese is unsigned and has not made it to the "freshmen" column; all other recruits have, even also-unsigned Ronnie Bell, because he's indicated his recruitment is not open and he would have signed except for his Missouri State basketball LOI.
Positional designations can be fuzzy, of course.
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL DEPTH BY CLASS 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
Position | Commits | Freshmen (c/o 2022) | Sophomores (c/o 2021) | Juniors (c/o 2020) | Seniors (c/o 2019) | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QB (5) | | B. Peters* | S. Patterson | ||||||||||||||||
RB (7) | | C. Evans | K. Higdon | ||||||||||||||||
FB (3) | VanSumeren | | J. Wangler* | ||||||||||||||||
WR (5) | K. Crawford | ||||||||||||||||||
Slot (4) | | N. Schoenle*# | |||||||||||||||||
TE (7) | | N. Eubanks* S. McKeon* | TJ Wheatley* Z. Gentry* | ||||||||||||||||
OT (8) | | | J. Bushell-Beatty* | ||||||||||||||||
OG (5) | J. Honigford* C. Filiaga* | A. Vastardis*# | | ||||||||||||||||
C (1) | | | C. Ruiz | | |||||||||||||||
DT (4) | D. Jeter* | M. Dwumfour* | | L. Marshall* | |||||||||||||||
NT (3) | | P. Paea* | A. Solomon | | B. Mone* | ||||||||||||||
SDE (5) | C. Hinton | C. Kemp* | R. Gary | | |||||||||||||||
WDE (5) | S. Herron | L.Vilain* | R. Johnson* K. Paye | R. Jones* | |||||||||||||||
SLB / Viper (3) | O. Reese '18 | | J. Uche* | K. Hudson | N. Furbush* | ||||||||||||||
ILB (6) | C. Thomas | J. Ross | D. Gil D. Bush Jr. | ||||||||||||||||
CB (7) | M. Sims Gem. Green | L. Hill | B. Watson* | ||||||||||||||||
FS (5) | | J. Kelly-Powell B. Hawkins | | ||||||||||||||||
SS (2) | | | J. Woods | J. Metellus J Glasgow*# | | ||||||||||||||
P/K/LS (2) | | | Q. Nordin* B. Robbins W. Hart*# C. Cheeseman*# | | | ||||||||||||||
Total | 4 | 32 | 25 | 18 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
projected starters in bold, returning starters in italics. |
Allotted: 87+1/85
Recruits: TBD after signing day.
Like "YMRMFSPA" in this site's recruiting profiles, it doesn't say Kaleb Ringer is Sam Sword or even that we think he's a future Sam Sword, just that if he were to reach the outer bounds of reasonable expectation a senior starting Ringer may resemble Sword. For most the original recruiting YMRMFSPA is listed, though I've updated many of the upperclassmen to reflect renewed expectations.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Would be surprised if Watson and Bunting come back next year. Beatty, Marshall, and Furbush might have to win spots in the Spring. Can see those 3 leaving if they are not starters.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:00 PM ^
I wonder. There are 91+1 names up there. I think I know 4 who don't have scholarships, giving us the 87+1 Brian cites. I see 2 fifth years that I doubt will be extended. That leaves us over 85 if Reese signs. Even if a couple of underclassmen are encouraged to transfer it will be hard to find spots for the recruits who are still being pursued if Watson, Marshall and Furbush are all brought back. I think the coaches would like to have all of them, but maybe not as much as some of the players being recruited.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
I assume Watson wants to play in the pros. He will go to a school where he can start and play every down (as will all these guys (excluding Chase)). Watson is the 3rd CB right now with Thomas and JKP basically right there with him. Harbaugh will take that spot for the 2018 class and give him a thanks with a handshake.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:25 PM ^
Agree on Watson, Bunting and Marshall.
I know JBB is...well, yeah. But he was still at least enough in the mix to start this year. Given the paucity of proven OTs it seems like the one spot where you least want to kick someone to the curb is the position where you are most desperate for any serviceable solution. I mean I get what you're saying, but he's probably still at least in the two deep as one of our 4 best OTs with Cole gone.
January 5th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
If JBB (assuming he is still on the team) wins a starting spot (or keeps it) in the Spring, he will be back. He if he is 2nd string, I think he will leave on his own. Oline is going to be a major battle in the Spring, time for guys to stop sucking.
We do need bodies at Oline, but JBB is going to do what is best for him also.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
So Furbush was a full-time starter who played multiple positions, and yet he may get processed? For who? A more experienced player?
January 5th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
I guess we would define full-time starter differently. Not experience, better younger player. Furbush is a nice guy to have if you have room or no prospects. He's not a Chase and he's not a guy we go "Oh! if we didn't let Furbush go we would have won a title." He's just a guy, not a dude.
I could be wrong, but I think the coaches are hoping a younger guy can fill his role. Or maybe Don Brown wants to use him as the slow linebacker to cover a fast RB in his defense.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
Would be surporised if any of the others you listed were not asked to return. JBB, Furbush and Watson were all major contributors. Marshall maybe, but he was in rotation (seemed to play a lot in Outback bowl) and will be a major contributor on a DL that uses a lot of rotation.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Based on performance I would agree that JBB comes back. BUT, what was behind his Outback Bowl absense?
January 5th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
It would have to be a minor disciplinary reason he was out, not a major one. But you're right, we are discussing wanting them back as players. Whatever he did to draw the ire of the coaches may override that. That he did it and hurt our bowl game chances by getting in trouble when we needed him pretty badly
January 5th, 2018 at 1:16 PM ^
They are contributors that can play, that's why if they are not starters here they will go start somewhere else. Michigan has a ton of linebackers with talent they need to get on the field this year and Furbush is a nice player but he is not a Chase or a need.
January 5th, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
Furbush is a proven player at a position where we don't have many proven players. We can't just kick veterans to the curb and assume that the new guys are going to be great.
January 5th, 2018 at 2:15 PM ^
I wouldn't say we are kicking veterans to the curb. We know what Furbush is and what he can do. Couple things working here, 1) Furbush is in his last year and is going to want to play every down. 2) Uche needs to be on the field this year and he is going to be a stud. If they are close, even, or Uche is better. I think Furbush is not on the team next year.
If spots are tight(and it appears they are), Furbush spot is an easier spot to replace than OT or DT.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^
the coaches don't want to leave. Easy, because we have a deep team and it usually does happen. That may well change who gets asked back.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:26 PM ^
umbig11 posted a week or so ago he wasn't so sure that JBB would be back and was one to keep an eye on.
January 5th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
Watson, Bushell-Beattty, Marshall and Fubush will be invited back unless we hit the 5 star lottery multiple times and just can't keep them all
January 5th, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^
Would love to hear what's the deal with McDoom...
Definitely not a spot where I worry too much, Perry and Martin can hold down the spot no problem. Others can run the jet sweep.
January 5th, 2018 at 9:43 PM ^
McDoom ... wow. I think he has great moves in the open field and he was one of my favorite recruits of that class.
January 8th, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
No Watson or Furbush. Watson looked good in the time he had and Furbush was certainly a contributor. Seems like both contributed more than Marshall. Must say something about the coach's opinions of the depth of those positions.
Oddly enough, Furbush and Mone more or less substituted for each other last year before Soloman took over. Furbush was always a solid special teams contributor, too.
January 5th, 2018 at 5:54 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 9:43 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:09 PM ^
Our base formation will be Tackle Over.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Hudson, Stueber, AND JBB as starters?
January 5th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Is he gone? I haven't seen an exit post for him.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
It has been rumored that he is gone, but I think until we know 100% he should be one here.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:17 PM ^
His locker is cleaned out. He gone.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
There was a front page post about it when it happened. I cant for the life of me remember when though.
Maybe a week after the regular season ended?
January 5th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
Shea starting. Awesome.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
The bowl game may have influenced that. I believe the bolds aren't supposed to be more than as best guess the way things appear to be now.
The extra (e.g. 3 tackles) being it's really down to those and paring down from there is effectively random so let's just bold them all
January 5th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Maybe the example for YMRMFSPA is due for an update as well? Kaleb Ringer has been off the team for about 5 years.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Please let them find a grad transfer punter!
January 5th, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
Still wondering if VanSumeren gets a shot at it. Doubt they'd burn his redshirt over punting, if thats the plan with him, but it'd still be pretty damn cool.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
Obviously he won't be the only one to play, but he has the clearest path to playing time.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:56 PM ^
Kid's a freshman. Let him at least have a better sample size.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:30 PM ^
Yeah, no way I'm giving up on him. And it wasn't our intention to play him this year.
But we have to acknowledge that wow, there is reason to be concerned though. His punting got worse and worse until we had to replace him.
Hopefully that experience this year will help him pull it together next year
January 5th, 2018 at 1:26 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
This isn't the NFL, he won't be cut. Worst case is he's not invited back for a fifth year after three more years.
If you mean he'll be counseled out, that's possible. But after this year if he left, it seems it would be difficult to get a scholorship elsewhere. Would he leave a scholorship and go somewhere else as a walk on?
January 5th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
You must not understand college athletics. Scholarships get cut every year at every level. I work at a D2 school and there's many players that get the "Well you can stay, but you won't have any athletic aid next year."
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