The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18. Matt Wile P/PK Wile just kept taking on more and more responsibility as the year went along. He kicked off, punted for a 40.6yard average in the absence of the suspended Will Hagerup, and served as placekicker for the final two games when Gibbons was out. 19. Brennen Beyer LB/DE Beyer also stepped up in Ryan's absence, playing linebacker until he returned, then moving back up into the defensive line. The junior wound up with 27 tackles, including a pair of sacks among four tackles for loss and a forced fumble. 20. Derrick Green RB The rookie came in with a world of expectation, but found the sledding not so easy in round one. He rushed for 270 yards on 83 carries while scoring a pair of touchdowns, enough to whet his appetite for far more in 2014. S 21. Thomas Gordon Gordon checked in No. 5 on this list in the preseason, but was even moved out of the lineup at times this season. The fifth-year senior still wound up fourth on the team with 58 tackles and posted three interceptions. 22. Drew Dileo WR An unspecified knee injury slowed Dileo in his senior season. He still caught 16 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, and his slide into place for the hold on a game-tying field goal at Northwestern won't soon be forgotten. 23. Erik Magnuson OL Magnuson stepped into a difficult spot as a redshirt freshman, moving into the interior offensive line for several starts. He'll move to tackle in the spring, where his hard knocks through the 2013 season will provide a base. 24. Willie Henry DT Henry notched 32 tackles, including half a sack among three tackles for loss, and a blocked kick in his first taste of action as a redshirt freshman. He made a move later in the season and in bowl practices, and should be in for a big 2014. WR/KR 25. Dennis Norfleet Norfleet averaged 23.5 yards per return on 40 kickoff returns this season, while catching six passes for 46 yards. He always seems a step or block away from breaking the big one, but that will have to wait another year. No. 5 Blake Countess, R-So., CB Countess lost what would have been his sophomore season in 2012, experiencing the most crushing news possible in the opener against Alabama. He'd torn the anterior cruciate ligament in a knee, costing him a campaign for which he'd trained relentlessly. The injury forced him to redouble his efforts just to get back for 2013. When he did, he was determined to show that he'd make it back fully as a strong part of the Michigan secondary. His six interceptions on the season — tied for sixth in the nation — helped make his case.