The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Last year's top freshman was ex- pected to be the nation's No. 1 re- cruit, defensive end Rashan Gary. He had a respectable debut that in- cluded five tackles for loss and one sack, but playing time was tough to come by on what might have been the nation's best defensive front. The true breakout rookie was run- ning back Chris Evans, who provided some lightning to senior De'Veon Smith's thunder. He finished with 614 yards and four scores on just 88 carries (7.0-yard average) and also brought in six passes for 87 yards. Extensive playing time is more realistic for the incoming freshmen this year after the Wolverines led the nation with 11 NFL Draft picks and sent eight more to the league via free agent deals. One — or even more — of the most impactful rook- ies in 2017 could come from the wide receiving corps; they certainly won't be hampered by the problem Gary — or even Evans, to a lesser extent — faced, when they entered a position group with proven veterans already in the fold. Several of the new pass catchers also have the tal- ent to rival Gary and Evans. Five-star Donovan Peoples-Jones was the nation's top prep wideout and ranked 12th overall nationally by Rivals. He enrolled early and may have given Gary competition for the most eye-popping numbers in the team's spring combine — Peoples- Jones posted the team's best 40-yard dash (4.41 seconds), vertical jump (39 inches) and broad jump (11 feet, 0.5 inches), plus had the second fastest pro shuttle (3.91 seconds), and all of those results would've ranked among the top 10 at his position at the 2017 NFL Combine. However, he also dealt with injuries that limited his on-field impact and al- lowed classmate Tarik Black (No. 76 recruit nationally) to emerge as the rookie star of the spring game. Black led all players with four catches, which gained 50 yards and included an 11-yard score from John O'Korn, in the public scrimmage. Rivals ranked the first-year tandem the nation's second-best wide receiving one-two punch in the rookie class. "Peoples-Jones is big, physical and fast, and he can work the middle of the field or beat you with speed down the sidelines," Rivals' national re- cruiting director Mike Farrell said. "Black is an excellent route run- ner and sets up his opponents well while flashing reliable hands. The two complement each other well." But there is plenty more to the group that Rivals dubbed the No. 2 haul of receivers in the 2017 recruit- ing class. In addition to the pair of top-100 recruits and early enrollees, the signees also included four-stars Nico Collins (No. 120 nationally), Oliver Martin (No. 206) and Brad Hawkins (No. 235 in the 2016 class), who prepped a year before mak- ing his way to Ann Arbor. Hawkins, though, could end up on defense. There will be plenty of opportunity for the rookies to make an impact after the departures of last year's top three pass catchers, Amara Dar- boh, Jehu Chesson and tight end Jake Butt. The trio of draft picks combined for 138 receptions, 1,908 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2016 alone. Fullback Khalid Hill (16 catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns) and wideout Grant Perry (13 for 183 yards and a touchdown), who was suspended during the spring, are the only returning players who notched double-digit receptions in 2016 from first-year starting quarterback Wil- ton Speight. The redshirt junior signal-caller marveled about both Peoples-Jones and Black in the spring, and he will be like a kid in the candy store when the rest of his pass-catching cavalry arrives in the summer. However talented, though, the rookies won't emerge as the go-to weapons by default. Older teammates are fighting for reps after mainstays Darboh and Chesson have finally stepped aside to create an opening. A quick look at the top 10 receivers (see chart), in terms of yardage, in U-M history shows how hard it is to make an immediate impact out wide as well. All- time leading receiver Braylon Edwards hauled in just three passes for 38 yards in six games during his debut before ripping off a trio of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with double-digit touchdowns. Among the school's top 10, No. 2 Anthony Carter had the most receiv- ing yards (462) and touchdowns (seven) for a rookie — on just 17 catches (27.2 yards per catch) — while No. 7 Roy Roundtree had the most fresh- man receptions (32). Only half of the school's top 10 even tallied double-digit receptions as rookies, and the group combined to average just 12.4 receptions, 189.8 receiving yards and 2.0 touchdowns in their debut campaigns. The top freshman receiver — or even multiple ones — in 2017 could easily eclipse those stats, thanks to their talent and opportunity. It's not ideal to go into a season with the leading receiver (Perry) boast- ing just 27 career catches, but the Wolverines have the perfect incoming mix to make up for the lack of experience. With the talent assembled, it wouldn't be a surprise to see wide receiver even emerge as one of Michi- gan's strengths in the very near future. — Ryan Tice Michigan's Top 10 All-Time Receiving Yardage Leaders, Career Totals Vs. Freshman Year Name (Years) Career (Rec.-Yds.-TD) Fr. Year (Rec.-Yds.-TD) 1. Braylon Edwards (2001-04) 252-3,541-39 3-38-0 2. Anthony Carter (1979-82) 161-3,076-37 17-462-7 3. Jeremy Gallon (2010-13) 173-2,704-17 4-49-1 4. Amani Toomer (1992-95) 143-2,657-18 16-238-1 5. David Terrell (1998-2000) 152-2,317-23 14-149-2 6. Mario Manningham (2005-07) 137-2,310-27 27-433-6 7. Roy Roundtree (2009-12) 154-2,304-15 32-434-3 8. Tai Streets (1995-98) 144-2,284-19 5-43-0 9. Marquise Walker (1998-2001) 176-2,269-17 4-31-0 10. Jason Avant (2002-05) 169-2,247-13 2-21-0 Wide-Open Opportunity Awaits Rookie Wide Receivers Early enrollees and top-100 prospects Tarik Black (left) and Donovan Peoples-Jones headlined what Rivals.com deemed the No. 2 incoming group of pass catchers nationally. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN