The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS THEY SAID IT 17.5 Is the Wolverines' average national team recruiting ranking over the last decade on the gridiron, accord- ing to Rivals.com. U-M's mark was second-best in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State (8.2). " One of the highest-ranked seniors suiting up in Apopka, Jackson has contin- ued to develop his perimeter jumper while also improving his motor. Jackson was never soft in the past, but it was nice to see him compete more consis- tently and also become involved in more 50-50 plays. The Michigan commit made shots from all three levels and showed the capacity to defend either guard position. He is on track for a solid career in Ann Arbor under first-year coach Juwan Howard." — Rivals.com basketball analyst Corey Evans, after watching Montverde (Fla.) Academy four-star point guard and U-M commit ZEB JACKSON at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival in Apopka, Fla., in late September 2 Midseason All-America teams that listed senior guard Michael Onwenu as a first- team selection — the squads done by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and ESPN.com after U-M's first six games. "He's allowed just six total pressures on 225 pass-blocking snaps and has been integral in getting their rushing game going," PFF wrote of his impact. "While rushing to either side of Onwenu this year, Michigan running backs are averag- ing over 2.0 yards before contact with a defender, the best of any gap on the of- fensive line for the Wolverines." While justifying its pick, ESPN noted that Onwenu, as of Oct. 17, had the third-best guard rating from PFF, with an 81.8 grade. No other regular player on the Wolverines had a PFF offensive grade higher than 76.2 after its first six games. 5th Was where Michigan was tabbed in USA Today's predicted order of finish for the Big Ten by its league writers. The Wolverines edged out Wisconsin by just one point, while they trailed No. 4 Purdue by 11. Senior point guard Zavier Simpson was included on their second-team All-Big Ten preseason squad, while wing Franz Wagner received one of a possible eight votes for the confer- ence Freshman of the Year honor. $139 , 000 , 000 Is the Michigan football team's three-year average revenue, according to Forbes. com. It is the best mark in the Big Ten and ranks third nationally, behind Texas and Texas A&M, which are both at $147 million. U-M ranked second in royalties and licensing ($28 million), and it also ranked second in the country for average annual football ticket revenue ($44 million). The Wolverines also boast a three-year average profit of $83 million to check in third. "Franz actually plays defense." — Michigan senior point guard Zavier Simpson at Big Ten Media Days, when asked what the difference is between freshman Franz Wagner and his older brother Moe, who played center at Michi- gan from 2015-18 " There's straight-line speed and there's football speed. He's [redshirt freshman linebacker CAM MCGRONE] only going to play faster and faster and faster as he gets more com- fortable. Think about that. He's just starting to scrape the surface. "When he rushes the passer, he is shot out of a cannon. I think I probably used those exact same words about Devin Bush and how he closed. Obviously, there is a lot of good defensively, but maybe the most encouraging development is in the middle — Don Brown said he's responsible for the calls as well. That's a lot on his plate as a first-time starter. He is passing the test." — 97.1 The Ticket's Doug Karsch, discussing the redshirt freshman linebacker's early season success PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL