The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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34 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2021 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan's 2017 class was the program's second consecutive No. 4-ranked group of signees nation- ally according to Rivals.com. Despite a handful of transfers, this group de- livered several key players with a few still remaining. A look at how the 2017 group has fared to date: Rec. Name Pos. Stars Jordan Anthony LB Redshirted in 2017 and notched three tackles in 2018. Anthony made 11 stops in nine games in 2019 before announcing his transfer — he sat out 2020 and joined Troy this spring. Tarik Black WR Was on his way to being U-M's best receiver with 11 grabs for 149 yards and a score in three games as a fresh- man, but back-to-back foot injuries sidelined him for most of his first two seasons. Black returned to start five times and caught 25 passes for 323 yards with one touchdown in 2019. He then graduated and transferred to Texas, where he hauled in 10 passes for 240 yards and one score. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an un- drafted free agent. Nico Collins WR Played little as a frosh but hauled in 38 passes for 632 yards and six scores to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2018. He caught 37 passes for 729 yards with a team-high seven touchdowns and a Big Ten-leading 19.7 yards per catch in 2019, sat out 2020 and went to Houston this year in the NFL Draft's third round. Chuck Filiaga OL Started all six games at left guard last season but struggled at times. He's projected to be second string entering his fifth year behind youngster Trevor Keegan, but is having a great fall camp per head coach Jim Harbaugh. Ja'Raymond Hall OL Enrolled early and went through a spring and one season before announc- ing his transfer to Central Michigan. Sat out 2018, missed the 2019 season with injuries and medically retired in February 2020. Brad Hawkins S Brought in as a wide receiver but switched to safety and played in 12 games as a freshman, primarily on spe- cial teams. He's become a stalwart at safety, having appeared in 42 games with 17 starts at free safety. He's ex- pected to be one of U-M's top defen- sive players in 2021. Joel Honigford OL/TE Took part in all six games as a block- ing tight end/extra lineman, after play- ing sparingly his first three seasons. Is now down to 257 pounds, having lost about 30, and hopes to play more at tight end. James Hudson DL/OL Moved from the defensive line his first year and was battling at tackle in 2018 before transferring to Cincinnati in December that year. He became a first-team All-AAC selection last sea- son, then opted for the NFL Draft and went to Cleveland in the fourth round. Deron Irving-Bey DL Redshirted and then transferred to Central Michigan in his second sea- son. Was dismissed due to academic difficulties, returned but never played a game at CMU, before entering the transfer portal for a second time. Donovan Jeter DL Started out at defensive end and red- shirted his first season after suffering an injury, moved inside and has been in the rotation ever since. He notched the only four starts of his career last year and played in all six games, and is hav- ing a great summer/fall per Harbaugh. Jaylen Kelly-Powell S Saw action in 20 games from 2017- 19, before transferring to Akron. He'll vie for playing time in 2021 after sitting out a year. Corey Malone-Hatcher DE Enrolled in January 2017, but was forced to retire from football and take a medical scholarship in July of that year. Oliver Martin WR Redshirted his first year, caught 11 passes for 125 yards and a score in 2018, and then transferred to Iowa. He notched five catches and one touch- down in 2019, then transferred to Ne- braska and brought in five passes for 63 yards in five games last season. Is still on the Cornhuskers' roster. Ben Mason FB/DL Saw action on special teams and at fullback his first two seasons. He made the move to defensive tackle in his third year and then back to full- back his final season. He played in 45 games, starting four, and twice won U-M's 'Toughest Player' award (2017, 2019). He signed with the Baltimore Ravens this year as a fifth-round pick. Dylan McCaffrey QB Redshirted and saw spot duty his second year backing up Shea Pat- terson, rushing 10 times for 99 yards with one touchdown, and going 8-of-15 passing for 126 yards and two scores before suffering a season- ending shoulder injury. He backed up Patterson in 2019, opted out in 2020 and transferred to Northern Colorado. Fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins has played in 42 career games and notched 118 tackles. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL A SOLID HAUL The 2017 Class Has Produced Several Contributors And Some Star Power 2017 CLASS REVIEW