Prime Candidates
Matt Hibner and/or Marlin Klein - Harbaugh teams can always find plenty of snaps for two tight ends. But with Loveland back in 2024 and the possibility that Barner could be, as well... Hibner may need to take his Michigan degree and start somewhere as a 5th year. Klein has started to get some buzz, but he's at a loaded position with two more studs coming in next year.
Greg Crippen, Tristan Bounds - The good news for the OL depth this year is that we are probably going to lose all 5 starters after the season. The bad news for this duo is that Raheem Anderson, Myles Hinton & Jeff Persi are probably still in front of them. It's possible they could have their degrees at the end of this school year and depart in the spring portal, with 2 years to play elsewhere. If not, then their choice is stay one more year as a backup, get the Michigan degree, and have one year to play elsewhere, or get the degree from another school and have 2 years to play.
Eamonn Dennis - He has been a special teams contributor but not broken through at all at receiver or corner. After 4 years, he'll surely have his degree, and he'll have a 5th year somewhere else if he wants it to take one last shot at being an NFL slot receiver or corner. Since he is a veteran and special teams contributor, I'm sure he'd be welcome back on the NIL plan for graduates, but my guess he'll want one last shot at playing a position.
Kalel Mullings - He'll be part of the mix in a RB room unlikely to include Blake Corum or Donovan Edwards. But my suspicion is that Benjamin Hall is going to jump him for the "short yardage back" role this year, and that at least 2 of Hall, Stokes, Cabana and Marshall will be ahead of him next season. He should have his degree from Ross after this season, and would have 2 years to give it a shot elsewhere.
Watch List
I have long considered anyone going into his 3rd or 4th season not projected to get snaps to be on the "watch list" for a potential move.
The players trending towards falling into that bucket as we go into 2024:
Tavierre Dunlap, Cristian Dixon, Dom Giudice, Tyler McLaurin
Wildcards
Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji - Assuming McCarthy enters the draft, solid bet the QB competition next offseason is between Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis. Denegal is likely never going to play here; only question is whether he stays long enough to get his degree and then tries it elsewhere. Orji could have a package installed for the next couple of seasons and then go the grad transfer route to start. Also possible to see an opening for him at LB next season, when the depth is going to be very young, if he wanted to commit to learning the position now. Orji's path could go a number of different ways and bears watching.
Kechaun Bennett and TJ Guy - Mike Elston has proclaimed them both ready to play now. Given that they're behind McGregor, Harrell, Moore and Stewart, I was a little surprised one or both didn't transfer already. How many of this year's 4 return, and progress towards their degrees (if that's of top importance to them) will determine their patience level.
Quinten Johnson - It's possible he is in line to start next season, if he wants to return for a 6th year (he's already a grad student.) But while I think it's more likely than not that Rod Moore and Makari Paige enter the draft after this season, if one or both don't, Johnson may opt to take one last shot at starting elsewhere.
Reece Atteberry - Like Johnson, a grad who may or may not be in line to start next season.
Amorion Walker - There's a world where the light just goes on for this physical freak and he lives up to the hype he was getting leading up to that unfortunate spring game performance. But there's also a world where Will Johnson, Jyaire Hill, Ja'Den McBurrows and either Kody Jones or Myles Pollard are all ahead of him going into his third year and he just needs a fresh start somewhere else.
Davis Warren - There's a world where he's our starting QB in 2024 and 2025. There's also a world where he's behind Jack Tuttle or Alex Orji this season and needs to go down a level if he wants to play and develop in games. Like Walker, still a wide range of outcomes possible for him.
Alessandro Lorenzetti, Kody Jones, Myles Pollard, Micah Pollard - All may or may not have roles next season.
***
Decent bet that we lose about 10-11 guys to the portal, maybe 6 of whom who would have been among the 85 scholarships, not grads on NIL.
Combine that with 3-4 more (McCarthy, Edwards. Colson, Rod Moore) who I think are likely 3 & done and NFL-bound and that's how we get down to 85 for next season.
We're currently at 90-93, depending on which former early entries would be transitioning off the 85 to NIL next season.
The numbers appear to fit.
Really interesting new paradigm we're living in now, with the roster of "scholarship" guys expanded over 100. We can pitch to recruits: "Look, your WORST case here is that you get 3-4 years at an elite, winning program working with our coaches, including the best S&C staff in the nation, and you can walk out of here with a Michigan degree and 1-2 years to play somewhere else after we developed you."
Matt Hibner and/or Marlin Klein - Harbaugh teams can always find plenty of snaps for two tight ends. But with Loveland back in 2024 and the possibility that Barner could be, as well... Hibner may need to take his Michigan degree and start somewhere as a 5th year. Klein has started to get some buzz, but he's at a loaded position with two more studs coming in next year.
Greg Crippen, Tristan Bounds - The good news for the OL depth this year is that we are probably going to lose all 5 starters after the season. The bad news for this duo is that Raheem Anderson, Myles Hinton & Jeff Persi are probably still in front of them. It's possible they could have their degrees at the end of this school year and depart in the spring portal, with 2 years to play elsewhere. If not, then their choice is stay one more year as a backup, get the Michigan degree, and have one year to play elsewhere, or get the degree from another school and have 2 years to play.
Eamonn Dennis - He has been a special teams contributor but not broken through at all at receiver or corner. After 4 years, he'll surely have his degree, and he'll have a 5th year somewhere else if he wants it to take one last shot at being an NFL slot receiver or corner. Since he is a veteran and special teams contributor, I'm sure he'd be welcome back on the NIL plan for graduates, but my guess he'll want one last shot at playing a position.
Kalel Mullings - He'll be part of the mix in a RB room unlikely to include Blake Corum or Donovan Edwards. But my suspicion is that Benjamin Hall is going to jump him for the "short yardage back" role this year, and that at least 2 of Hall, Stokes, Cabana and Marshall will be ahead of him next season. He should have his degree from Ross after this season, and would have 2 years to give it a shot elsewhere.
Watch List
I have long considered anyone going into his 3rd or 4th season not projected to get snaps to be on the "watch list" for a potential move.
The players trending towards falling into that bucket as we go into 2024:
Tavierre Dunlap, Cristian Dixon, Dom Giudice, Tyler McLaurin
Wildcards
Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji - Assuming McCarthy enters the draft, solid bet the QB competition next offseason is between Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis. Denegal is likely never going to play here; only question is whether he stays long enough to get his degree and then tries it elsewhere. Orji could have a package installed for the next couple of seasons and then go the grad transfer route to start. Also possible to see an opening for him at LB next season, when the depth is going to be very young, if he wanted to commit to learning the position now. Orji's path could go a number of different ways and bears watching.
Kechaun Bennett and TJ Guy - Mike Elston has proclaimed them both ready to play now. Given that they're behind McGregor, Harrell, Moore and Stewart, I was a little surprised one or both didn't transfer already. How many of this year's 4 return, and progress towards their degrees (if that's of top importance to them) will determine their patience level.
Quinten Johnson - It's possible he is in line to start next season, if he wants to return for a 6th year (he's already a grad student.) But while I think it's more likely than not that Rod Moore and Makari Paige enter the draft after this season, if one or both don't, Johnson may opt to take one last shot at starting elsewhere.
Reece Atteberry - Like Johnson, a grad who may or may not be in line to start next season.
Amorion Walker - There's a world where the light just goes on for this physical freak and he lives up to the hype he was getting leading up to that unfortunate spring game performance. But there's also a world where Will Johnson, Jyaire Hill, Ja'Den McBurrows and either Kody Jones or Myles Pollard are all ahead of him going into his third year and he just needs a fresh start somewhere else.
Davis Warren - There's a world where he's our starting QB in 2024 and 2025. There's also a world where he's behind Jack Tuttle or Alex Orji this season and needs to go down a level if he wants to play and develop in games. Like Walker, still a wide range of outcomes possible for him.
Alessandro Lorenzetti, Kody Jones, Myles Pollard, Micah Pollard - All may or may not have roles next season.
***
Decent bet that we lose about 10-11 guys to the portal, maybe 6 of whom who would have been among the 85 scholarships, not grads on NIL.
Combine that with 3-4 more (McCarthy, Edwards. Colson, Rod Moore) who I think are likely 3 & done and NFL-bound and that's how we get down to 85 for next season.
We're currently at 90-93, depending on which former early entries would be transitioning off the 85 to NIL next season.
The numbers appear to fit.
Really interesting new paradigm we're living in now, with the roster of "scholarship" guys expanded over 100. We can pitch to recruits: "Look, your WORST case here is that you get 3-4 years at an elite, winning program working with our coaches, including the best S&C staff in the nation, and you can walk out of here with a Michigan degree and 1-2 years to play somewhere else after we developed you."
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