Michigan’s freshmen have been largely unseen and unheard since fall camp. But some always see and hear.
Here are a few more educated guesses about the rookies, who are developing for future title runs.
• Myles Sims — The defensive back out of Atlanta is rangy for a corner, at 6-3. He struggled at times in Michigan’s early fall practice, but carries the potential to be one of the Wolverines’ best cover corners down the road. He’ll benefit greatly from another year of physical development in the U-M system. He’s shown some excellent skills in the past few weeks, and will be watched carefully in the physicality department next spring. If the Wolverines see an underclassman cornerback exit in earnest, Sims could challenge for a starting spot as early as next season. If Michigan loses its top three cornerbacks, one prediction has him no worse than No. 3 in 2019.
• The Green Brothers — The Greens — Gemon and German, out of DeSoto, Texas — are putting their freshman season to good use, and it won’t cost them any eligibility. Both play physical football and have gotten looks both at cornerback and safety. They’re a bit like Vincent Gray in the fact that they’re more comfortable in zone coverage than man — at this point. Don’t be surprised if they don’t both wind up as safeties, Gemon playing first, perhaps in next year’s two-deep. Gemon looks like a strong safety at this point, with both Greens featuring bodies that can put on some good weight.
• Mustapha Muhammad — The 6-5 tight end out of Missouri City, Texas, came in with the physique to play right away, but the luxury of sitting back and learning behind U-M’s veterans. He’s considered the most complete tight end in the class, when considering blocking ability in addition to efforts as a pass catcher. The obviously talented Muhammad is still working on his hands, but in previous years — without Michigan’s depth — he might have seen the field by now. He’ll be in the tight end rotation in 2019.
• Some takeaways — The Class of 2018 features a number of future starters, including offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, running back Christian Turner, linebacker Cameron McGrone and Sims. A couple of years down the road, quarterback Joe Milton, wideout Ronnie Bell, fullback Ben VanSumeren and Muhammad could join that list.
Defensive end Julius Welschof should make the two-deep as early as next season. In truth, many among the rest of the class could put themselves in a similar position, depending on their development and other circumstances (injuries, early departures, etc.).
A class with 10-12 strong contributors is generally considered a good one. While some were disappointed in the overall ratings of the 2017 aggregation, the class is still loaded with those who could develop into strong contributors down the road.
Athleticism at tight end and excellent size at cornerback are big assets of the class. Spring ball 2019 will draw the picture even more sharply for those looking to step forward in the future.
Here are a few more educated guesses about the rookies, who are developing for future title runs.
• Myles Sims — The defensive back out of Atlanta is rangy for a corner, at 6-3. He struggled at times in Michigan’s early fall practice, but carries the potential to be one of the Wolverines’ best cover corners down the road. He’ll benefit greatly from another year of physical development in the U-M system. He’s shown some excellent skills in the past few weeks, and will be watched carefully in the physicality department next spring. If the Wolverines see an underclassman cornerback exit in earnest, Sims could challenge for a starting spot as early as next season. If Michigan loses its top three cornerbacks, one prediction has him no worse than No. 3 in 2019.
• The Green Brothers — The Greens — Gemon and German, out of DeSoto, Texas — are putting their freshman season to good use, and it won’t cost them any eligibility. Both play physical football and have gotten looks both at cornerback and safety. They’re a bit like Vincent Gray in the fact that they’re more comfortable in zone coverage than man — at this point. Don’t be surprised if they don’t both wind up as safeties, Gemon playing first, perhaps in next year’s two-deep. Gemon looks like a strong safety at this point, with both Greens featuring bodies that can put on some good weight.
• Mustapha Muhammad — The 6-5 tight end out of Missouri City, Texas, came in with the physique to play right away, but the luxury of sitting back and learning behind U-M’s veterans. He’s considered the most complete tight end in the class, when considering blocking ability in addition to efforts as a pass catcher. The obviously talented Muhammad is still working on his hands, but in previous years — without Michigan’s depth — he might have seen the field by now. He’ll be in the tight end rotation in 2019.
• Some takeaways — The Class of 2018 features a number of future starters, including offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, running back Christian Turner, linebacker Cameron McGrone and Sims. A couple of years down the road, quarterback Joe Milton, wideout Ronnie Bell, fullback Ben VanSumeren and Muhammad could join that list.
Defensive end Julius Welschof should make the two-deep as early as next season. In truth, many among the rest of the class could put themselves in a similar position, depending on their development and other circumstances (injuries, early departures, etc.).
A class with 10-12 strong contributors is generally considered a good one. While some were disappointed in the overall ratings of the 2017 aggregation, the class is still loaded with those who could develop into strong contributors down the road.
Athleticism at tight end and excellent size at cornerback are big assets of the class. Spring ball 2019 will draw the picture even more sharply for those looking to step forward in the future.
