The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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inside receiver is vacated, and Canteen will use the offseason and spring prac- tice to try to earn that role. 5. Defensive tackle Bryan Mone — early enrollee Salt Lake City Highland Three-star recruit, No. 23 defensive tackle in the country and No. 4 player in Utah Although Mone was slightly out of shape at the Under Armour All-America Game in January, weighing in at 6-4 and 328 pounds — leading to some slipping in his overall rank — he has en- rolled early at Michigan, which should allow him to spend this winter getting back to the player he was as a junior and senior at Highland High School. He'll also have the chance to learn the defense during spring practice, giv- ing him a leg up come fall camp. With junior defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins coming off an ACL injury, young play- ers will have to contribute at the posi- tion, and Mone has the physical tools to make an early impact. 6. Linebacker Chase Winovich Jefferson Hills (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson Four-star recruit, No. 18 outside line- backer in the nation and No. 6 player in Pennsylvania Winovich is a 6-3, 216-pounder, who is already approaching college-ready size. While he hasn't always been a full-time linebacker — he played safety as an un- derclassman in high school, and was his team's starting quarterback as a junior and senior in addition to his defensive duties — he has the physical ability to be an effective college linebacker. Al- though he's not enrolled at Michigan to go through spring practices, he is likely the fastest linebacker Michigan is bring- ing in with the 2014 class and could make an impact rushing the passer or on special teams. 7. Quarterback Wilton Speight Richmond (Va.) Collegiate School Three-star recruit and No. 27 player in Virginia Although Speight doesn't have the recruiting accolades of some of his classmates, he is a smart quarterback with the size (6-6, 243 pounds) to play early at Michigan. Enrolling in January will give him the opportunity to build a bond with his receivers and go through spring practice with the team. While U-M's quarterback situation seems set with fifth-year senior Devin Gardner, sophomore Shane Morris and redshirt junior Russell Bellomy returning, the Wolverines have played some backups at the position in recent years, and Spei- ght's overall grasp of the game gives him a chance to get on the field. 8. Tight end Ian Bunting Hinsdale (Ill.) Central Four-star recruit, No. 9 tight end in the nation and No. 15 player in Illinois Bunting is the pass-catching tight end that Michigan fans have become accus- tomed to seeing with Devin Funchess and Jake Butt in recent years. He's still slim, standing in at 6-7 and just 223 pounds, and he will need some time to put on mass in order to become a better blocker on the line of scrimmage going forward. However, his physical tools should see him develop into a multi-purpose threat during his Michi- gan career. He is a willing blocker, but