The Wolverine

25. Blake O'Neill P O'Neill should plug right in as a fifth-year senior transfer, a big (6- 2, 215) addition from Weber State. He finished sixth nationally last sea- son in punting average (44.1), set- ting a single-season school record. He boomed a career-best 74-yard punt, had 18 of 50 yards or more and placed 25 inside the opponents' 20. O'Neil could become a key weapon for the Wolverines, in terms of field position. Note: Defensive tackle Bryan Mone was slated to check in at No. 14 on the list but was removed after suffering a serious injury in August. ❏ Where Are They Now? The postseason version of The Wolverine's top-25 list invariably differs from the preseason outlook, underscoring the vagaries of projection and performance. There's also another consideration — what about the years that follow? To that end, here's a look at a number of the preseason No. 1s on our annual list, and what they're doing now. 2013-14 — QB Devin Gardner: Former head coach Brady Hoke handed Gardner the keys to the Maize and Blue car the past two seasons, the last two for each in the program. Gardner struggled adapting to the drop-back quar- terback role as a senior, and Michigan's season spun out of control with a 5-7 finish. Gardner didn't get taken in the NFL Draft, but signed on with the New Eng- land Patriots shortly thereafter. After he was released by the Patriots, Gardner then inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and received practice time at both quarterback and wide receiver before being placed on the waived/injured list Aug. 11. 2011-12 — QB Denard Robinson: Robinson re-wrote the Michigan record books as the U-M quarterback and could have given the Wolverines a Big Ten title as a senior, had he not suffered an elbow injury at Nebraska. He bounced back from that and was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now a running back with the Jaguars, Robinson has rushed for 648 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons. He broke through for a solid 2014 campaign, gaining 582 yards on 135 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per try and scoring all four of his touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 124 yards. He needed to im- prove on catching the ball out of the backfield, but has come along in that area. 2010 — C David Molk: Molk proved an anchor at center for the Wolverines, eventually winning the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best at that position. The San Diego Chargers took him in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Molk appeared in 12 games his first season without a start. The Chargers then released him in the last round of preseason roster cuts in 2013, and he sat out

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