MGoPodcast 15.0.b: Concerning Hobbits

1 hour and 56 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, HomeSure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, Venue by 4M where we recorded this, and The Nose Bleeds, which is the Sklars Bros’ reboot of Cheap Seats on UFC Fight Pass.

EVENT NOTE: We're hosting a tailgate with the Sklars at Venue before the UNLV game for anyone who has a ticket to see them perform live at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase that night. Venue will have the noon games on, and provide an a la carte tailgate spread, food truck with four beers on tap, and bar. Tickets will be on sale soon at the Comedy Showcase--stay tuned.

1. Defensive Line

Starts at 1:00

This podcast is actually two hours about Coco Gauff- I'm getting word from our sponsors that we must resume football discussion. Kris Jenkins is looking to be a first or second round pick, he's the best pass rusher in the interior. His nickname is "The Mutant" and it shows. Mason Graham is the dude next to him, the best freshman DT since... ever? Freshman DTs just aren't that good but Mason Graham was good. Kenneth Grant, God's gift to football, is in the lineup, but might be a year away from fully realizing his ability. Rayshaun Benny showed some flashes in the Spring Game and is probably behind Kris Jenkins. Rumor is Cam Goode is in better shape coming into this year. The freshmen probably won't contribute much but they're on their way. Edge position is pretty set in stone and will probably be fine, not great. Jaylen Harrell is reliable but a little small and could drop back into a linebacker role. He's had some oddly optimistic draft projections. There's reason to be optimistic about Josiah Stewart. Braiden McGregor feels like he's never fully recovered from his knee injury, despite being physically shaped like Aidan Hutchinson. Derrick Moore has Taco Charlton potential. 

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]

2. Linebackers and Cornerback

Starts at 39:43

Junior Colson has had his ups and downs at Michigan but is coming in with a lot of hype. He's a similar mold to Jonas Mouton. Would have some +2s in UFR, which are amazing, but then would end up grading negatively overall. He could be the proverbial X-Factor - you can see the potential in the All-American talk. Michael Barrett is one of the most 'football guys' on the team and it's so great to see him mold into a good linebacker. He has a lot of versatility which helps Minter call different plays. Ernest Hausmann is a great get from a not great Nebraska defense, he looked great in the Spring Game. Jimmy Rolder saw some decent play time towards the end of last year. Jaydon Hood probably won't crack the two-deep. Will Johnson could possibly be the best cornerback in the country, did not get toasted by Marvin Harrison Jr. Could he be following the Charles Woodson path? Mike Sainristil? Mike Sainristil! Responsible for the best Michigan defensive play since...? We play "Remember Some Dudes" with just one guy. Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, and Michael Barrett created a culture of "football dudes". Biggest question on the whole team is "who is going to be CB #2"? Josh Wallace is a great pickup from UMass and was probably recommended by Don Brown. In terms of best case scenario going into the Ohio State game, though, it's probably Jyaire Hill. Amorion Walker is on the Freaks List but that finished product is probably a year away. There are issues but not like the Rich Rodriguez era "Never Forget Banner", these issues are simply "put a safety over the CB that needs help and let Will Johnson go 1-on-1." Whoever comes out of this mess is going to be decent, and all you really need is someone to be decent. 

3. Hot Takes, Safeties, and Special Teams

Starts at 1:15:58

Takes hotter than Coco Gauff at the Southern and Western Open. Is there a conspiracy to hide Ja'den McBurrows from us?? Rod Moore is possibly one of the top available safeties in the NFL draft. He's a three-star out of Ohio (Ohio State recruited Lathan Ransom, oopsie). Makari Paige is a very reliable tackler. Best safety duo since who? Quinten Johnson is a fast guy who hasn't quite put it together yet. We haven't heard much about Sabb. Zeke Berry looked pretty good in the Spring Game. If one of the starters gets hurt then there could be issues. Caden Kolesar would be pretty good as a third safety for most of the year. Tommy Doman is the punter and a six-star! James Turner comes in as a kicker and is 32 for 33 inside the 40. We've heard all about Alex Orji as a punt returner. Mullings as a punt returner? Eamonn Dennis as a kick returner makes sense but we need Alex Orji for the memes. The long snapper is-

4. Defense in Summary

Starts at 1:44:06

It's a little shakier than the offense, there are still a few questions, but it won't be a disaster. Need to get pass rushing out of the actual pass rushers. It could still be a top 10 unit and could still be better than last year. Lots of time this season to figure it out. Biggest concern on the defense (besides CB #2)? Breakout player? SP+ final finish? Who's your dude? Alejandro, we need you to publish the mattress story. 

MUSIC:

• “Pull Up”— Lil Mosey
• “Rolling”— Michael Kiwanuka
• “Pretend”— Alex_G_offline
• “Across 110th Street”