The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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mained at strongside defensive end, a position where he made seven starts at in 2013, Heitzman likely would have fallen victim to an in- crease in depth and talent, but by moving to tight end he takes advan- tage of a void on the roster. The 6-4, 258-pounder could be a short-term fill-in for the injured Jake Butt, and he might run with that chance into a permanent role. Matt Wile — A jack-of-all-trades, Wile was the emergency punter in five games of 2011, the pooch punter in 2012, the full-time punter in 2013 with starter Will Hagerup suspended for the year, a long-distance field goal kicker in 2012-13 — he is 5 of 8 with makes of 48, 49 and 52 yards — and the kickoff specialist for all three sea- sons. But, he has never really occu- pied a starring role, and this year will do so in handling all of U-M's field goals (in addition to kickoffs). WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Kellen Jones — Playing for his third school, Jones signed with Mich- igan but did not enroll, transferred and spent one season at Oklahoma and then transferred, again, to Clem- son. He sat out the 2012 campaign per transfer rules and played in three games in 2013 before blowing out his ACL in mid-September. He returns this fall eager to claim a starting job at linebacker. Thomas Rawls — Considered an underrated gem in the 2011 class, Rawls carried with him substantial hype, thanks to the confidence of po- sition coach Fred Jackson. However, Rawls never hit his stride, rushing for 333 yards and five scores on 73 career carries (4.6 yards per rush), and decided with a logjam at tailback he would venture elsewhere. Rawls transferred to Central Michigan and will have one season of eligibility remaining in 2015. Chris Rock — The former four-star recruit didn't pan out at Michigan, leaving after his rookie year. Return- ing to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, he walked-on to the Ohio State football team and suited up in one game along the defensive line in 2013. He moved to tight end this past spring Senior Matt Wile has served as a long- distance field goal specialist and punter for U-M, and this year he will handle all of U-M's field goals, in addition to his usual kickoff duties. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL