The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
154 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Ron Johnson DL 1 F He played in one game from 2016-18 and never tallied any stats, transferring to Towson prior to the 2019 season. Carlo Kemp DL 46 B One of only 15 two-time captains in Michigan history, Kemp was a consistent contributor who started 29 games and racked up 81 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. David Long CB 30 A He started 86.6 percent of the career contests he competed in (26 of 30), serving as a lockdown defender in 2017 and 2018, and earning first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches in the latter season. Elysee Mbem-Bosse LB 11 D- He never recorded any stats in his two years at Mich- igan, departing the team after the 2017 season. Eddie McDoom WR 25 C- He compiled 140 yards through the air and 203 on the ground from 2016-17, but transferred to South Florida prior to the 2018 season. Sean McKeon TE 40 B- He was a steady contributor at tight end from 2017-19, starting 23 tilts during that span and accumulating 58 receptions for 658 yards and six touchdowns. Josh Metellus S 47 B+ The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native was a staple in U-M's secondary from 2017-19, starting 38 games those three years and finishing his career with 187 tackles, five interceptions and 21 passes defended. Ahmir Mitchell WR 0 F Tabbed as a four-star prospect and the No. 139 player out of high school, Mitchell was dismissed from U-M before ever appearing in a game. Quinn Nordin K 41 B He finished his career with a 72.4 percent conver- sion rate on field goals (42 of 58), with his 14 makes from 40 yards or farther standing as the most in school history. He is tied for the all-time lead in 50-yarders as well (four), matched the lon- gest make in school history (57 yards) and is the program's 10th all-time leading scorer (246 points). Mike Onwenu OL 46 B He started 35 games from 2017-19 and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches each of his last two years on campus. The sixth- round pick has exceeded all expectations with the New England Patriots, starting 14 games at three different positions as a rookie. Brandon Peters QB 11 C- The Peters era was short-lived, with the Avon, Ind., native starting just four games and throwing for only 680 yards and four touchdowns before trans- ferring to Illinois following the 2018 season. Started 16 of 21 games with the Illini and threw for 2,313 yards and 21 scores against eight interceptions while rushing for 349 yards and four touchdowns. Stephen Spanellis OL 37 D+ A career backup who primarily saw action on spe- cial teams, Spanellis was never able to crack the starting lineup and transferred to Vanderbilt prior to the 2020 campaign. Josh Uche LB 39 B+ He wreaked havoc during his tenure despite starting only nine games, compiling 16.5 career sacks and lead- ing the squad in quarterback takedowns in both 2018 and 2019, before being selected in the second round (No. 60 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Patriots. Kareem Walker RB 5 F He posted 20 carries for 68 yards before being dis- missed from the program and heading to Fort Scott Community College in Kansas prior to the 2018 season. * Note: This list does not include linebacker Dy- tarious Johnson or safety Brad Hawkins. Johnson pledged to U-M but never signed, while Hawkins wound up taking an extra year of high school and joining the team in 2017. Final Grade: A- The only reason the class didn't receive an "A" grade was because it failed to beat Ohio State or win a Big Ten championship. It nevertheless helped serve as a building block for the winning culture Harbaugh built in Ann Arbor during their time on campus, which was best exemplified with the 2016 and 2018 squads. Both clubs were just a win over Ohio State away from playing in the Big Ten Championship Game. Thirty-seven percent of the signees (10 of the 27) went on to become NFL Draft picks, with Bush and Gary each going in the first round in 2019. Few other U-M recruiting classes in recent his- tory have produced as many stellar players as Harbaugh's 2016 haul. Despite starting only nine games during his time in Ann Arbor, linebacker Josh Uche led the team in sacks in both 2018 and 2019, and finished with 16.5 career QB takedowns. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Name Pos. Apps Ind. Grade Name Pos. Apps Ind. Grade Name Pos. Apps Ind. Grade