The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/835590
THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 169 Blake Bars OL 0 D+ Appeared in just eight games while at Michigan as a reserve offensive lineman and opted out of his fifth year of eligibility to pursue a law degree. Joe Bolden LB 28 B Bolden was a solid linebacker in the middle of a good defense for three seasons and was a co-cap- tain in 2015. He was also an All-Big Ten honorable mention pick that year, was on the Butkus Award watch list and was a Lott IMPACT Award quarter- finalist. Ben Braden OL 36 B+ Braden was a two-year starter on the offensive line and started in 25 consecutive games from 2014-15. He was named an All-Big Ten second-team per- former by the coaches and media in 2016. Jehu Chesson WR 25 A- The All-Big Ten first-team member was named the Bo Schembechler team MVP in 2015. He hauled in 114 passes for 1,639 yards and 12 touchdowns and also had three rushing touchdowns and a kick return touchdown over his Michigan career. Jeremy Clark CB 16 B- A solid player, contributing 49 tackles, nine passes broken up and three interceptions during his career. Unfortunately, he suffered a season- and Michigan career-ending knee injury against Penn State in 2016. Amara Darboh WR 28 A- A consistent contributor, he finished his career with 151 catches for 2,062 yards and 14 touchdowns. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors in 2016. Devin Funchess TE/WR 25 A- Named to the Football Writers Association of Amer- ica Freshman All-America Team as a true freshman and then the Big Ten Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year as a true sophomore. After moving to wide receiver, he was an All-Big Ten second-team pick in 2014 and completed his three-season Michigan career with 126 catches for 1,715 yards and 15 touchdowns. Allen Gant LB 0 D- Never saw meaningful time while at Michigan and did not return to the program for his fifth year of eligibility. Finished his career with seven tackles. Matthew Godin DT 16 B Godin finished his Michigan career with 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, and earned All- Big Ten honorable mention notice in 2016. Willie Henry DT 22 B Henry tallied 86 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in three seasons. He also picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown. He was a 2015 All-Big Ten honorable mention pick. Sione Houma FB 5 C Houma became more involved when Jim Harbaugh took over and finished his career with 43 carries for 184 yards and five touchdowns (all in 2015). He also added 10 catches for 91 yards. Royce Jenkins-Stone LB 8 C- Jenkins-Stone never quite lived up to his four-star status coming out of Detroit Cass Tech, and finished with just 48 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks while at Michigan. He still managed to be an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 2015. Drake Johnson RB 3 C Injuries and unfortunate events plagued Johnson, but he still managed to accumulate 641 yards and eight touchdowns on 116 rushing attempts. He also had seven catches for 107 yards and two scores. Kyle Kalis OL 43 B- Though he never lived up to his five-star status, Kalis was a serviceable lineman who was an AFCA All-America second-team honoree as a senior and a 2015 All-Big Ten third-team member according to the media and an All-Big Ten honorable mention per the coaches. Erik Magnuson OL 37 B+ A dependable offensive lineman, he was a 2016 All-Big Ten first-team member according to the coaches and media. Dennis Norfleet RB/WR 4 D+ Owns program record for total kickoff returns (90) and ranks first in program history in career kickoff return yards with 2,203. Despite decent production at U-M, he faltered heading into his senior year by missing an exam and some classes, and was ultimately dismissed from the team. He finished his career at Tuskegee University. Mario Ojemudia DE 7 C+ Finished his career injured, but tallied 82 total tack- les, 17.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Ondre Pipkins DT 0 D- A five-star prospect who fell well short of expecta- tions. Amassed just 23 tackles and one tackle for loss while in Ann Arbor. Transferred to Texas Tech and tallied 32 tackles, four stops for loss and a fumble recovery in 2016 after sitting out a year. Terry Richardson CB 0 D- Only appeared in 15 games at Michigan and even- tually took the graduate transfer route to Marshall, where he finished with 22 tackles and two intercep- tions in 2016. Kaleb Ringer LB 0 F Did not see game action at Michigan during his freshman year and then transferred to Ferris State University, before moving on to Butler Community College in Kansas and then finally to Georgia State University. James Ross LB 21 B Racked up 188 career tackles, including 16.5 for loss and three sacks. Tom Strobel DE 0 D Played very sparingly and accumulated just six tackles while in Ann Arbor. Took the grad transfer route and finished his collegiate career at Ohio University. Tallied 29 tackles, 2.5 stops for loss and 0.5 sacks in his one year at Ohio. A.J. Williams TE 13 D+ Was primarily a blocking tight end, recording just 17 catches for 164 yards and one touchdown during his four-year career at U-M. Jarrod Wilson S 31 B+ Named All-Big Ten honorable mention as a senior in 2015 and was a solid member of U-M's secondary during his four-year stint in Ann Arbor. He tallied 169 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and four interceptions. Chris Wormley DL 30 A- Wormley outperformed his modest three-star rat- ing coming out of high school. He won the Richard Katcher Award for the top U-M defensive lineman in both 2015 and 2016, and was also a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2016 per the coaches and a second-team pick by the media. In 2015, the coaches listed him on their third team. He was also a co-captain as a fifth-year senior in 2016. Class Of 2012 Summary Players In Class — 25 • Rivals.com Ranking — 7th Name Pos. Starts Ind. Grade Name Pos. Starts Ind. Grade Name Pos. Starts Ind. Grade Defensive lineman Chris Wormley came on strong his final two years in Ann Arbor, pro- ducing a combined 83 tackles, 23.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 12.5 sacks. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Final Grade: C The 2012 class produced three first-team All-Big Ten players in wide receiver Jehu Ches- son, offensive lineman Erik Magnuson and defensive lineman Chris Wormley, and has the potential for 11 to be on NFL rosters in 2017 (12 if you count walk-on Ryan Glasgow). This group had the unique experience of being around for the downfall of Brady Hoke and the rejuvenation of the program under Jim Harbaugh in years one and two. However, the 2012 class never beat Ohio State and had a losing record versus both Notre Dame and Michigan State.