The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/859588
SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 41 for All-Big Ten honors last year, but he should get them this year and po- tentially more. During his time in the maize and blue, he's notched 73 tack- les, 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Several outlets have tabbed him a pre- season All-American, while in May ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. listed him as the No. 21 draft-eligible player for the 2018 event. RB Ty Isaac: The USC transfer has appeared in 20 games with one start at tailback, and has carried the ball 104 times for 616 yards and scored six touchdowns as a Wolverine. He should factor into the rotation in his final year. OL Pat Kugler: Has played spar- ingly throughout his career, with just 10 appearances and one start, but is in line to be the team's starting center if he continues his progress from the spring. LB Mike McCray: Has appeared in 24 career games and made 13 starts, recovering from injuries earlier in his career to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades last year. He has notched 78 stops, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions in his U-M career. QB John O'Korn: The trans- fer from Houston was the fa- vorite to start at one point prior to the 2016 season, but redshirt junior Wilton Speight passed him by. O'Korn completed 3 of 6 passes for 30 yards with a score in the spring game and is U-M's most mobile option under center. FB Henry Poggi: Has moved from D-line to tight end to full- back and played in 31 games, starting 11 (four at TE and seven at FB). Has one carry for four yards and seven career catches for 47 yards. LB Michael Wroblewski: The former walk-on has played primarily on special teams, but he's earned a scholarship for a reason. He notched four tackles in the spring game and should factor into the rota- tion this year. Here's an in-depth look at the 2014 group and expectations for the upcom- ing season: THE TOP FOUR CONTRIBUTORS SO FAR 1. OL Mason Cole: Only five true freshmen started on a Michigan offen- sive line before Cole in 2014 — Bubba Paris in 1978, Tom Dixon in 1980, Dean Dingman in 1987, Justin Boren in 2006 and Kyle Bosch in 2013. Combined, they started nine games as rookies. Cole has started every game (38) in his Michigan career, 25 at left tackle and 13 last year at center, and is expected back at left tackle this year after earn- ing second-team All-Big Ten honors at center a season ago. He's a favorite to be a captain. 2. QB Wilton Speight: Speight has been one of the surprises of his class, a third-team All-Big Ten selection and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week in 2016. He completed 204 of 331 passes (61.6 percent) for 2,538 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year, and is expected to start again this season. 3. DE Chase Winovich: Winovich was the man without a position before last year, moving from linebacker to tight end to defensive line, but he's emerged as a serious pass-rushing threat. He's played in 18 career games, contributed 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble during his career, and then had a big spring. He's bulked up and slated to start at defensive end. 4. DT Bryan Mone: Mone, with one start in 2014, became the first rookie defensive lineman to start a game for Michigan since LaMarr Woodley in 2006 and the first freshman defensive tackle since Damon Denson in 1993. He's been plagued by injury since and has yet to make the impact many ex- pected. He still has the potential to be a dominant force in the middle, but he's notched only 21 tackles and 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage to date. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL 1. TE Ian Bunting: Bunting has ap- peared in 23 games and started seven, including the Orange Bowl last season. He notched a career-best three recep- tions for 40 yards in that game and will have every opportunity to become a key part of the passing game this year after notching 10 receptions for 118 yards to date. 2. LB Noah Furbush: Defensive co- ordinator Don Brown said this spring he'd implement some packages to take advantage of Furbush's skill set. The redshirt junior has played in 19 career games and chipped in 15 tackles, including one for loss. He's been banged up the last two years, but ap- pears ready to go and should see plenty of time against run- heavy, pro-style offenses. 3. OT Juwann Bushell-Be- atty: Bushell-Beatty worked his way into the two-deep last year by losing a lot of weight, and he'll compete for a starting job this fall. He's appeared in 11 career games with one start at left tackle, and continues to improve his conditioning and his play. 4. WR Maurice Ways: Ways has had good springs the last two years, but he's still waiting for his breakout moment in an actual game. He's appeared in 11 contests (six last year), hav- ing started two, and has caught five passes for 64 yards. Redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich has 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and one forced fumble in 19 games played. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN REPORT CARD — B There was/is star power at the top of this class, but there hasn't been much beyond the "Big Three" of Peppers, Speight and Cole. Still, the Wolverines got one All-American out of this group, a potential second one in Cole and their starting quarterback, with the possibility for more.