The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2018 11. ZACH GENTRY, R-JR., TE Gentry should be in for a huge year, after earning the squad's Most Improved Offensive Player award in 2017. An honorable mention All-Big Ten performer, he secured 17 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns, playing in all 13 Michigan games. Gentry not only finished second among the Wolverines in receiving yardage last fall, his average per catch (17.8 yards) ranked first among those playing a full season. 12. CESAR RUIZ, SO., C Ruiz stepped in to start five games for the Wolverines as a true freshman right guard. This year he moves into his natural position, taking over at center. The powerful interior line- man is expected to spearhead an improved front wall under new of- fensive line coach Ed Warinner 's watchful eye. 13. BEN BREDESON, JR., OG Bredeson enters his third year of starting, coming off a season in which both the coaches and media put him on the All-Big Ten second team. He's looking to move up and move defenders out of the way for Michigan's running backs. His 20 career starts in a Michigan uniform are more than anybody else on the roster and will make him a leader among the front wall put out by Warinner. 14. AUBREY SOLOMON, SO., DT Solomon stepped into the starting lineup down the stretch of his true freshman season, giving no ground among the big boys in the middle. He wound up with a pair of TFLs among 18 tackles, appearing in all 13 games with four starts. He should become a key factor in Michigan's run-stopping effort in 2018. 16. TYREE KINNEL, SR., S Kinnel delivered a very solid effort in his first year as a full-time starting safety last year. His 70 tackles stood fifth on the team, with a sack and 5.5 tackles for loss among them. He also picked off two passes and broke up seven more, and will be expected to provide major senior leadership in a secondary that now features experi- ence to go with considerable talent. 17. SEAN MCKEON, JR., TE It should be another big year for Michigan tight ends, and McKeon figures to play a major role. He led all U-M pass catchers last fall with 31 receptions, while his 301 yards proved third among them — though it trailed U-M leader Grant Perry by just six yards. In a season marked by a dearth of touchdown passes, McKeon hauled in a team-best three. 18. JOSH METELLUS, JR., S Metellus stepped up with 50 tack- les, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick in his first season as a starter in 2017. He'll get a chance to build on that this year, with Brown delivering an off- season vote of confidence in the third-year Wol- verine. 15. CHRIS EVANS, JR., RB Evans played in all 13 Michigan games in 2017, rushing 135 times for 685 yards (5.1 average) and six touchdowns. He also snagged 16 passes for an additional 157 yards and a touchdown. The third-year Wolverine should provide a key element in Michigan's rushing game this season. He stresses that he wants to see everyone do well in Michigan's offense. At the same time, he's determined to not be overshadowed by Higdon, who took over the lead back spot and came within six yards of 1,000 in 2017. Evans knows there is room for a multi-back attack in The Big House and beyond. "We're really tight," he said of his relationship with Higdon. "When stuff goes wrong on the field, we talk. Even off the field. He has a youth football team, just like I do." Evans also sounded fully determined to work on what proved a struggle across the board for Michigan backs in 2017. "Pass protection, pass protection, pass protection," he said of his focus, late in the spring. Referring to backs coach Jay Harbaugh, Evans noted: "I know based on the tendencies, and the opportunities I get, he doesn't really trust me out there in pass protection. … I've just got to beat it until I get it down." The Harbaugh overseeing the entire operation talked about his veteran backs at the Big Ten football meetings in Chicago recently. "Karan Higdon and Chris Evans are both really good players, and that bodes well for our football team," the head coach said. "Both have come into leadership roles … they've embraced those roles. It's important to them. "It's important to each of them, how they play, but you also see them work- ing with the younger backs. Chris Evans takes those guys and goes over pass protections with them." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN