The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/696825
THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 89 OFFENSIVE LINE Personal: Born Jan. 5, 1994 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in sociology. GRANT NEWSOME • OL So. • McLean, Va. Ht.: 6-7 • Wt.: 300 Career Highlights: Moved into the left tackle spot in the spring of 2016, taking over after Mason Cole shifted to center … Lettered after appearing in four games on the offensive line, mak - ing one start, in 2015 … Made collegiate debut and first career start at Minnesota. Prep: Attended The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey … Also played defense and notched 25 tackles, four quar - terback hurries, two tackles for loss and one sack as a senior … Rivals.com rated him as a four-star prospect, the No. 6 senior in New Jersey, and the No. 12 offensive tackle and No. 191 recruit nationally. Personal: Born March 2, 1997 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. BEN PLISKA • OL 5th-Sr. • Kirkland, Wash. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 283 Career Highlights: Walk-on … Let - tered after playing two games as a reserve offensive lineman in 2015 … Appeared in one game as a backup in 2013 … Redshirted in 2012. Prep: Attended Lake Washington High School coached by Stephen Supple … Three-year varsity letterman in football … National Honor Society … Earned all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons. Personal: Born April 9, 1994 … His father, John, played football at Portland State … Enrolled in the College of Engi - neering, majoring in mechanical engineering. JON RUNYAN, JR. • OL R-Fr. • Philadelphia Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 304 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015. Prep: Attended St. Joseph's Prep School … Helped his team to two straight PIAA Class AAAA state cham - pionships … Anchored an offensive line that paved the way for an average of 201.5 rushing yards per game … Rivals. com listed him as a three-star prospect, the No. 15 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 45 offensive tackle nationally. Personal: Born Aug. 8, 1997 … Son of former Michigan All-American offensive lineman and NFL Pro Bowler Jon Run- yan … Enrolled in College of Kinesiology, major undeclared. NOLAN ULIZIO • OL R-Fr. • West Chester, Ohio Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 291 Career Highlights: Redshirted in 2015. Prep: Attended Lakota West High School … Starter who helped his team earn a berth in the state quarterfinals as a senior … Anchored an offensive line that helped aver - age 150.0 rushing yards per game … Named a Fall Prep All- Star and second-team All-District by The Cincinnati Enquirer … Rivals.com rated him as a two-star prospect. Personal: Born April 6, 1997 … Originally committed to UConn before switching to Michigan … Enrolled in the Col - lege of Literature, Science and the Arts, major undeclared. NEWCOMERS BEN BREDESON • OG Fr. • Hartland, Wis. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 293 Prep: Four-year letterman and three-year starter for the Arrowhead (Wis.) High School offensive line … Helped lead Arrowhead to the state title game in 2015 … As a junior, he assisted his team to a 10-4 record and the state title game … Led Arrowhead to a 13-1 record and a state championship his sophomore year … Ranked as a four-star talent, the No. 1 player in Wisconsin, and the No. 2 offensive guard and No. 60 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com … Chosen as a USA Today and MaxPreps first-team All-American … Named The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin as a senior … Earned Wiscon - sin Football Coaches Association All-State honors as a junior and senior … Received the Joe Thomas Award as the most outstanding senior offensive lineman in Wisconsin. Personal: Born Feb. 20, 1998 … His brother Jack plays on the U-M baseball team. MICHAEL ONWENU • OG Fr. • Detroit Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 350 Prep: Three-year starter on offense and defense at Cass Tech High School, where he played for former U-M running back Thomas Wilcher … As a senior, he helped lead his team to an 11-3 record and a state Division I runner-up finish … Recorded 10 pancakes and assisted in paving the way for more than 2,800 yards rushing for the offense, which gave up only two sacks all season despite throwing for more than 3,000 yards … Helped his team to a 12-1 record and the state Division I semifinals as a junior … Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 4 player in Michigan, and the No. 7 offensive guard and No. 147 overall prospect in the land by Rivals. com … Picked for The Detroit Free Press Dream Team of the best players in the state as a senior, and to The Detroit News Dream Team as a junior and senior … Selected for the Mlive. com Detroit Dream Team as a junior and senior. Personal: Born Dec. 10, 1997. STEPHEN SPANELLIS • OT Fr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 315 Prep: Four-year varsity player for Gilman School … Played right tackle his senior year and was part of a lineup that allowed only six sacks and paved the way for 395 yards of of - fense per game en route to a 10-1 record … Helped lead his team to an 8-3 mark as a junior … His freshman year, Gilman went 9-2 and finished the season ranked No. 51 in the nation by MaxPreps.com … Rated as a three-star recruit, the No. 16 player in Maryland and the No. 36 offensive tackle nationally by Rivals.com … Selected to the USA Today All-USA Maryland first team after his senior year … Picked for the Maryland Consensus All-State football team … Voted by the media for the 2014 and 2015 Private School first-team All-State teams. Personal: Born Jan. 18, 1998. ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Elig. Hometown (High School) 71 Ben Braden OL 6-6 322 5th Sr. Rockford, Mich. (Rockford) — Ben Bredeson OG 6-5 293 Fr. Fr. Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead) 76 J. Bushell-Beatty OL 6-5 325 Jr. So. Paramus, N.J. (Paramus Catholic) 52 Mason Cole OL 6-5 305 Jr. Jr. Tarpon Springs, Fla. (East Lake) 55 David Dawson OL 6-4 316 Sr. Jr. Detroit (Cass Tech) 51 Greg Froelich OL 6-2 283 Sr. Jr. Maplewood, N.J. (Deerfield Academy) 67 Kyle Kalis OL 6-5 305 5th Sr. Lakewood, Ohio (St. Edward) 57 Patrick Kugler OL 6-5 302 Sr. Jr. Wexford, Pa. (North Allegheny) 78 Erik Magnuson OL 6-6 305 5th Sr. Carlsbad, Calif. (La Costa Canyon) 77 Grant Newsome OL 6-7 300 So. So. McLean, Va. (Lawrenceville School, N.J.) — Michael Onwenu OG 6-3 350 Fr. Fr. Detroit (Cass Tech) 63 Ben Pliska OL 6-3 283 5th Sr. Kirkland, Wash. (Lake Washington) 75 Jon Runyan Jr. OL 6-4 304 So. Fr. Philadelphia (St. Joseph Prep) — Stephen Spanellis OT 6-5 315 Fr. Fr. Baltimore (Gilman School) 70 Nolan Ulizio OL 6-5 291 So. Fr. West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) Jon Runyan Jr. is the son of a former Michigan All-American by the same name; the elder Ru- nyan played in the NFL from 1996-2009 for the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL