The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Is Devin Funchess big enough at 6-5, 235 pounds? On the opposite spectrum, some are concerned that the sophomore tight end just isn't heavy enough to be an every-down performer that can disguise his intentions by becoming a capable blocker. Bennie Joppru (1999-2002) and Jerame Tuman (1995-98) are the gold standards against which all other U-M tight ends are compared, and the two played at 243 and 249 pounds their senior years, respectively, each, like Funchess, standing 6-5. However, in his second season, Tuman was 238 pounds (Joppru was too big at 251 and would slim down), which illustrates the point it takes time to add desirable mass, especially to a lanky individual. Funchess did add seven pounds of good weight — no small feat. Among the top five tight ends in the Big Ten (ranked in The 2013 Wolverine Football Preview), Funchess is the smallest, but Penn State's Kyle Carter (ranked No. 1) isn't much bigger at 6-3, 243 pounds, and Wisconsin's Jacob Pederson (No. 3) is 6-4, 240. Funchess is still more of a receiver than a blocker, but he's big enough to block down on a defensive end or go one-on-one with a linebacker. Over the next few years, he will increase his weight, probably peaking around 245 pounds; in his 2013 role, he should thrive at his current size. Who had the most noticeable weight gain among the returning players? Only a single veteran — sophomore linebacker Royce JenkinsStone (up 10 pounds to 225) — added double-digit weight from the spring to now. A total of 19 players lost weight. Both fifth-year senior Cam Gordon (up four to 237 pounds) and junior Brennen Beyer (down four to 250 pounds) are putting themselves in position to have the mass and flexibility to man the strongside linebacker post. At rush end, junior Frank Clark said he wanted to play a little lighter than the 277 he held in the spring, so he's down four pounds, while sophomore Mario Ojemudia, once a 225-pound freshman, is up six pounds from his spring weight to 250. Ojemudia should combine with Clark on passing downs to give U-M two bona fide edge rushers, and with his added strength, he will not have to rely solely on the speed he utilized last season. Weight gains don't tell the entire story. Players can be in peak condition but cannot translate that to Saturday production — former defensive end Alain Kashama (2000-03) is a prime example, recording only 5.5 sacks even though he was a chiseled 6-5, 256 pounds and ran a 4.5 40-yard dash. But in the competitive college arena in which the goal is always to get bigger, stronger and faster, Michigan has done just that. ❑ Associate Editor Michael Spath has been with The Wolverine since 2002. Contact him at mspath@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @Spath_Wolverine.