The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 167 Staying The Course: Michigan signed 27 players in the 2013 class, and even though 10 players from it made a big impact and looked ahead to a future in professional football, nobody left the program early. Tight end Jake Butt, defensive end Taco Charlton, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. and cornerback Jourdan Lewis all had an opportunity leave for the NFL before their eligibility was up in Ann Arbor, but decided to come back to school. Thirteen Didn't Exhaust Eligibility At U-M: Sixteen of the Wolverines' 27 signees in 2010 didn't finish their careers in Ann Arbor. Amazingly, the percent- age went up when 15 of 20 from the 2011 class didn't complete their careers at U-M. The situation calmed down a bit with the 2012 group, with just seven of the 25 finishing up their college careers out of a Michigan uniform, but nearly half of Michigan's 27 signees in 2013 headed to other programs to finish their football careers. Offensive lineman Kyle Bosch got off to a great start at Michigan but faltered soon after. He ap- peared in five games as a true freshman and made three starts at left guard. As a sophomore he ap- peared in one game before taking a leave of ab- sence, which ultimately led to him leaving U-M. He transferred to West Virginia and really found his way. He started 13 games in both 2015 and 2016 and was named to the All-Big 12 Conference first team in 2016. Last season, he started 11 games and is now with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. Offensive lineman David Dawson was a big-time, four-star signee for Hoke out of Detroit Cass Tech but never developed at U-M. He played in just 12 games at guard and tackle during his four seasons at Michigan before transferring to Iowa State. His career never took off in Ames and he retired from football without ever playing a snap for the Cyclones. Reon Dawson came to U-M as a lengthy three-star cornerback, yet never played a meaningful snap. He redshirted as a freshman and ultimately medically retired. He remains on Michigan's staff as a graduate assis- tance, while he pursues a master's degree in social work. Four-star signee Ross Douglas came to U-M as a four-star cornerback and then switched to running back after a redshirt freshman season. During his sophomore campaign he appeared in 10 games primarily on special teams. As a junior, he played in five games as a backup run- ning back carrying the ball 10 times for 18 yards be- fore transferring to Rutgers. He moved to safety once at Rutgers and made five tackles in 10 games before moving to linebacker for his final year of eligibility. In 2017, Douglass started all 12 games at strong- side linebacker and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. He tallied 38 tackles on the season with four passes broken up. Wide receiver Jaron Dukes redshirted as a fresh- man and never recorded a reception during his four seasons at Michigan. He opted to medically retire in 2016. Offensive lineman Chris Fox came to Michigan as the No. 1 player in the state of Colorado, but could not overcome injuries while playing at U-M. He red- shirted as a freshman and then appeared in just one game the following year. During the summer of 2015 it was announced that Fox would take a medical scholarship due to injuries and become a part of the program as a student as- sistant coach, a role he still fills. Running back Derrick Green, Michigan's highest- rated prospect and only five-star in the 2013 class, never flourished in the maize and blue. Rated the nation's top prep fullback, Green played for three sea- sons at Michigan and finished with 212 carries for 898 yards and seven touch- downs while struggling with his weight and injuries. He finished his career at TCU, carrying the ball 38 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Da'Mario Jones, a three-star signee, played in 23 games, mainly on special teams while at Michi- gan. He finished his U-M career with two receptions for 13 yards. He announced that he'd be transfer- ring to Bowling Green late in 2016, but never appeared on the Falcons roster during the 2017 season. The lone quarterback signee in 2013, Shane Mor- ris arrived at U-M with a lot of hype. However, he started just two games during his four years at U-M and completed 47 of 92 passes for 434 yards with no touchdowns and five interceptions. He went the graduate transfer route and ended up at Central Michigan where he started all 13 games for the Chippewas in 2017. He completed 249 of 446 throws for 3,237 yards with 27 touchdowns and 17 intercep- tions, and helped CMU to an 8-5 record and a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl appearance against Wyoming. Instability surrounded offensive lineman Dan Samu- elson since he was in high school. He originally commit- ted to Pittsburgh before flipping to Nebraska only to ul- timately change his mind again and sign with Michigan. He didn't see game action during three seasons at U-M and ultimately decided to transfer to Eastern Michigan. He sat out 2016 due to transfer rules and played in 10 games last fall. Four-star athlete Wyatt Shallman took a redshirt as a true freshman and then transitioned from running back/fullback to linebacker. Limited by injuries, he carried the ball just four times for 14 yards during his Michigan career and played in 16 games. Shallman decided to transfer to Ohio for his final year of eligi- bility and recorded 13 tackles including two for loss. Offensive lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman came to Michigan as a touted, four-star recruit. He redshirted as a freshman and then appeared in one game as a sophomore. He was kicked off the team early in the season in 2015, spent one campaign at Akron and then moved on to UTEP as a graduate transfer. Wide receiver Csont'e York played only one year for U-M and was suspended before ultimately being dismissed from the program. He enrolled at Toledo, but never pursued football again. Top Five Individual Performances 1. De'Veon Smith vs. Indiana, 2016: On senior day, the senior back had his best game in the winged helmet, carrying the ball 23 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns. The Wolverines defeated the Hoosiers 20-10 in front of more than 110,000 people in Smith's last romp in The Big House. 2. Jourdan Lewis vs. Michigan State, 2015: Lewis was well known as a sticky cover corner, and he proved it against the Spartans, recording a career-best six passes broken up in the game while guarding dynamic receiver Aaron Burbridge. Lewis also tallied seven tackles in the contest. Unfortunately, the Spartans won the game 27- 23 on the fumbled punt return touchdown that will go down as one of the most unlikely finishes in college football history. 3. Maurice Hurst Jr. vs. Michigan State, 2017: Hurst had his best career game against the Spar- tans, and it also came in a loss. The cat-quick defensive lineman set career highs in tackles with 10, solo tackles with six and tackles for loss with 3.5. The Wolverines fell to the Spartans 14-10 in horrible weather. 4. Jake Butt vs. Central Florida, 2016: Butt had a monster game for a tight end against UCF in U-M's second game of the season in 2016, making seven catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the 51-14 U-M win. Those grabs gave him 100 career receptions and marked his first multi-touchdown game. 5. Channing Stribling and Delano Hill vs. Hawai'i, 2016: One week earlier, in U-M's sea- son opening 63-3 win over Hawai'i, Stribling and Hill both left their mark on the Warriors. Hill picked off his first pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. He also posted two stops and one tackle for loss. Stribling also intercepted a pass and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown in the dominating win over Hawai'i. TOP STORYLINES Running back De'Veon Smith racked up 158 yards and two touchdowns on 23 rushing attempts to lead U-M past Indi- ana on Senior Day in 2016. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL