The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1273784
AUGUST 2020 THE WOLVERINE 9 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Watch list season is upon us. College football is (hopefully) quickly approach- ing, meaning that players across the nation are being recognized ahead of the start of the campaign. Who will take home these prestigious postsea- son awards remains to be seen, but the most prominent candidates to earn the hardware are being singled out, includ- ing many Michigan Wolverines. The last time a U-M player earned a major postseason honor was in 2016, when Jake Butt won the John Mackey Award as the country's best tight end and viper linebacker Jabrill Peppers nabbed the Paul Hornung Award, which is given annually to the nation's most versatile player. Of the preseason honors U-M play- ers have earned heading into 2020, the most noteworthy listings have been senior defensive end Kwity Paye and senior cornerback Ambry Thomas be- ing tabbed as two of the top defensive players to watch in the entire country. Both landed on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, while Paye also found himself on the Bronko Nagurski Tro- phy's set of candidates. Here is every Maize and Blue standout that has received preseason praise from major awards. — Clayton Sayfie Senior cornerback Ambry Thomas was named to the preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards. The former honor goes to the nation's top defen- sive player, while the latter is bestowed upon college football's best defensive back. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Michigan Football Players Populate Preseason Watch Lists AWARD GOES TO THE NATION'S BEST … PLAYER Chuck Bednarik Defensive player DE Kwity Paye Chuck Bednarik Defensive player CB Ambry Thomas Fred Biletnikoff Pass catcher WR Nico Collins Bronko Nagurski Defensive player Paye Dick Butkus Linebacker LB Cameron McGrone John Mackey Tight end TE Nick Eubanks Jim Thorpe Defensive back Thomas Outland Trophy Interior offensive lineman OL Jalen Mayfield Paul Hornung Most versatile player WR Giles Jackson Wuerffel Community service with athletic LB Adam Shibley and academic achievement Maxwell Overall player Collins POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHO WILL LEAD MICHIGAN IN RECEIVING YARDS IN 2020? Nico Collins Will Emerge As The Team's Go-To Guy By Austin Fox Senior Nico Collins' 729 receiving yards last year were just 29 shy of matching Ronnie Bell's team-leading total, though it's worth noting the lat- ter played in one more game (Collins missed the win at Illinois with an injury). At 6-4, 222 pounds, the Birmingham, Ala., native proved to be an outstand- ing down-field threat by averaging 19.7 yards per catch (the second-best mark in the Big Ten), though his clip of 53.4 yards per game through his first seven outings helped solidify the notion that he was underused. The Wolverines' offensive attack clicked in November under first-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, however, with U-M finally taking advantage of Collins' size. After being targeted an average of just 4.7 times through his first seven tilts, Collins saw that total rise to 6.6 during Michi- gan's final five tilts, while also seeing his receiving average climb to 71.0 yards per game during that span. It's fair to expect the late-season production to carry over into 2020, especially when considering U-M's offense now has a year of Gattis' playbook under its belt. One other advantage Collins has over Bell is ball security; the former has dropped a combined four passes over the past two seasons, while the latter dropped eight last year alone. Ronnie Bell Will Pace The Wolverines Again By Chris Balas Junior Ronnie Bell was an after- thought to many when the two-star recruit arrived in Ann Arbor. He was going to play mid-major basketball, be- fore U-M offered him at the last minute. Bell has since emerged not only as the team's most dependable receiver, but also one of the best all-around players on the roster. Need him to step up in a big game, like he did with nine recep- tions for 150 yards in a 44-10 win over Michigan State? He has that ability. Need a guy to make a play? According to Pro Football Focus, among receivers with at least 80 targets last year, he ranked eighth nationally with an average of 9.9 yards after the catch per reception. Need someone make a key block on the perimeter? He's your guy. There's a reason Bell was Shea Patterson's No. 1 option last year on a team whose "big three" receivers were supposed to be Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black and Nico Collins. He's always where he's supposed to be, catches the ball most of the time (though, yes, he's dropped a few) and nobody cares more. Collins is going to have a productive year as Michigan's big receiver, but Bell will still be No. 1. He's the best route runner on the squad, a great athlete and an outstanding teammate. RONNIE BELL NICO COLLINS