Tag: Cesar Ruiz

Four Wolverines make Mel Kiper’s top 10 NFL Draft big board by position

Several Wolverines are standing out early in the eyes of the NFL Draft guru.

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The Wolverines looking to make a name for themselves ahead of the NFL Draft in April have a big week to do just that, given the Reese’s Senior Bowl practices have been underway with plenty of scouts in attendance.

But, it’s not all about the seniors who are departing Ann Arbor, but some of the juniors who don’t get to participate in such a showcase.

The prominent voice in all-things NFL Draft is ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who just released his first mock draft and big board for 2020. While no Michigan players made either the first round of 32 or Kiper’s top 25 players, he did separate the top ten players available by position, and four former Wolverines made those lists, including one at the very top.

The name that was highest for Kiper was former team captain Ben Bredeson, who headlined his top ten offensive guards available, coming in at the No. 1 spot. But he isn’t the only offensive lineman to get strong consideration as center Cesar Ruiz — who is forgoing his senior year to enter the pro ranks — came in as Kiper’s third-best center.

The other two players that Kiper is high on are both senior defensive players, as Josh Metellus came in as the No. 8 safety. Josh Uche had another year of eligibility, despite being in Ann Arbor for four years, and Kiper sees him as the 7th-best outside linebacker.

However, Uche can really make a name for himself at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he’s already made a strong impression during practices.

Notably absent in the lists are both senior QB Shea Patterson — who’s had an up-and-down go of things in the week-long preparation for the Reese’s Senior Bowl — but perhaps more notably wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft early, despite having another year of eligibility. Given that he had a year where he could improve his draft stock, that he isn’t on Kiper’s list of top ten wide receivers as of current means that Peoples-Jones will have to rely heavily on both the NFL Scouting Combine and his Pro Day workout to fly up draft boards.

One Wolverine makes The Athletic’s two-round NFL mock draft

One player made The Athletic’s two-round mock draft.

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Remember 2017, when Michigan not only led the NFL Draft with 11 picks, but also brought in the fifth-best class according to 247Sports?

Things have changed on that front, and while the Wolverines can still recruit, it seems like a rung below where it was back then. At the same time, that 2017 class has been decimated — through transfers, various departures, and now it’s the first year that those players can go to the NFL via the draft.

Looking at the 2020 NFL Draft, the expectation would have likely been that one of Michigan’s skill guys would be the one to go highest. Well, according to The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler, in his latest two-round mock draft ($), it’s an offensive lineman that will be first off the board — and at a position that many in the NFL tend not to prioritize.

Outgoing Michigan junior Cesar Ruiz surprised many when he announced he was leaving the program after just his third season. But, it looks like it could pay off, as Brugler has the former IMG Academy man in the middle going in the second-round of his mock draft — which according to Brugler, would make him the highest Wolverine takcn. He has Ruiz being picked late, at No. 60 overall to the Baltimore Ravens.

Looking at the rest of the mock, there’s plenty of names that will assuredly make Michigan fans’ skin crawl. With three Ohio State players in the first-round (five overall), and players like OT Isaiah Wilson, who was long a heavy Michigan lean before a late change of heart towards Georgia, at No. 25 or Louisville OT Mekhi Becton — who the Wolverines wanted, but didn’t pursue quite as heavily as they could have, likely because of the aforementioned Wilson — at No. 11.

While OSU’s five players seem like a ton to go in the first two rounds, Michigan’s most recent opponent even surpasses that. The Alabama Crimson Tide — which took a solid defensive second-half to ultimately put away the Wolverines — have an astounding eight players being selected in the first two-rounds according to Brugler.

Read The Athletic’s entire mock draft here ($ – subscription required)

Michigan football offense grades from the 2019 season

Michigan football ended their season 9-4 with some big losses in big games. When looking at the offense, how did everything go?

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Headed into the 2019 season for Michigan there was a lot of hype around the team, more than it ever it seemed like. They were favorites to win the Big Ten Championship with Ohio State losing their head coach Urban Meyer and replaced with Ryan Day. They hired Josh Gattis from Alabama to be their offensive coordinator and preached “Speed in Space” all off-season long.

Michigan got quarterback Shea Patterson back for his senior year. After deciding to return to Michigan for another year, Patterson brought back leadership and experience. The biggest return besides Patterson was the healthy trio of wide receivers in Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black. They would look to dominate for the first time together as a group and with this new offense, they could excel their abilities.

While those two positions looked strong, the running back room looked questionable. With Chris Evans getting suspended for the entire season due to academics, Michigan lost their best receiving running back, and one that was fast and shifty, making defenders left and right miss. They would have to rely on the youth that had never really played for the Wolverines yet. The offensive line would be filled with veteran starters except for right tackle as that battle was between Jalen Mayfield and Andrew Steuber, and it looked to be head coach Jim Harbaugh’s best group of guys he’s ever had.

Overall it was looked at a great chance for the Wolverines to finally claim the top spot in the Big Ten, yet, they finished the season 9-4. They beat Michigan State in back-to-back years for the first time since 2006-2007 and got revenge on Notre Dame from the loss in 2018. But when it came to taking on Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, and even Alabama, Michigan couldn’t figure out how to get the job done.

With that said, it’s time to review how each position, including head coach and coordinators, did in the 2019 season, starting with the offense. While it wasn’t the result that everyone wanted, there are still some positives to take away from the 2019 season as the 2020 season is the next focus.

Quarterback: B+

Patterson had his final season in Ann Arbor be the best one he’s ever had. While he wasn’t in the Heisman conversation or blowing up the stat sheet, Patterson overall had a good year. His struggles with fumbling were the main issue in the first half of the season and it was a serious issue for him that was hurting the team. He did have some accuracy issues as well, overthrowing open wide receivers, or making some questionable throws into coverage.

The second half of the season though, his fumbling issues were almost gone, and he started clicking with his receivers on some big plays. Patterson finished the year going 214/381 with a 56.2 completion percentage for 3,061 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 87 carries for 50 yards and five touchdowns. The completion percentage was his worst since his freshman year at Ole Miss, and while he is to blame for some of the issues, there were games where the ball would be right where it needed to be and the wide receivers couldn’t hold onto the football.

Patterson was inconsistent at times and that’s not what you can be when it’s time to play in the big games. Either way, Patterson did all he could and in the end, it wasn’t enough to push Michigan to the next level.

The backups got some action this year. Backup Dylan McCaffrey went 10/20 with a 50 percent completion percentage for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with 13 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Third-string Joe Milton went 3/7 with a 42.9 completion percentage for 59 yards with a touchdown and an interception, along with five carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. These two will duke it out over the offseason this year and battle for the starting rights in 2020.

Running Back: B

With Evans suspended, that left freshman Zach Charbonnet as the projected starter, but he would have to earn it. Harbaugh named Tru Wilson the starter at the Big Ten Media Days, but Wilson would never start. Charbonnet would eventually start, but as the season progressed, that job went to Hassan Haskins. Those three running backs, along with Christian Turner, would see some playing time, but it was Charbonnet and Haskins who ended up being the best of the group.

Charbonnet finished the season as the leading rusher with 149 carries for 726 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with eight catches for 30 yards. Charbonnet would have some wear and tear heading into the season coming off a minor surgery on his knee in March and he would be limited after a few games into the season, but he’d play in every game. He had the best season as a freshman running back in school history since Mike Hart back in 2004. Charbonnet has a bright future with a full off-season to prepare for the 2020 season and without going to surgery.

Haskins finished the season with 121 carries for 622 yards and four touchdowns, along with six catches for 40 yards. Haskins took advantage of the time Charbonnet was limited and forced himself to be involved with the offense more. His involvement will be interesting next season with Evans returning.

Wilson would get involved with the running game still, finishing with 44 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 14 yards. Turner, a player projected to compete for the starting running back job, only played in eight games and was pushed down the depth chart with others out-performing him. He finished the year with 44 carries for 171 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 13 yards.

Wide Receiver: B-

The wide receivers at Michigan were projected to have a big year in the new offense, along with the others as it fits their style and it could help them open up some lanes for the running backs as well. In the end, they weren’t as explosive as they’d like to be, but it took six games to get things to click and when things are clicking, this offense is putting up points easily.

Peoples-Jones would somewhat regress in the offense, getting only 34 catches for 438 yards and six touchdowns, along with 24 punt returns for 173 yards. 2018 saw more catches, yards, touchdowns, return yards and even a punt return touchdown for Peoples-Jones. While Peoples-Jones took a small step back, Collins improved off his sophomore campaign. Collins finished the season with 37 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns.

Collins and Peoples-Jones were the big two wide receivers, but Black was the third piece that has been limited since arriving in Ann Arbor in 2017 as he’s dealt with two separate foot injuries that held him to just six games the past two seasons. Black would play in 11 games this year, but his play seemed to have taken a hit, along with others around him emerging, his playtime would be limited, finishing with just 25 catches for 323 yards and a touchdown.

One of the biggest wide receivers to play big this season was Ronnie Bell, who finished as the leading receiver in yards and catches, with 47 catches for 747 yards and a touchdown. Three freshman wide receivers got involved with the offense as well, showing the future is bright at the position. Giles Jackson had nine catches for 142 yards with one touchdown, along with 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. Mike Sainristil had eight catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, while Cornelius Johnson had four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

The biggest flaw for the group this year was dropping catches. Some of the drops were due to good hits by the defense, others were wide open and the ball would drop out of their hands. They couldn’t hold onto the football when they needed it most sometimes and that is not what you want to see when down and trying to move the ball down the field.

Tight End: C+

With the change of the offense, the tight ends wouldn’t be used as much in the passing game as their blocking was more of the focus to help the running game get extra help. Senior Sean McKeon’s final season was this year and he finished with 13 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Eubanks was used more as the receiver with 26 catches for 254 yards and four touchdowns.

Some of the blocking by both men was inconsistent, as one week they’d do well, the other they’d miss and struggle. With the offense not using the tight ends as much, they became less of an offensive weapon and more of a blocker, which opened up doors for more wide receivers to get in on the receiving action.

Offensive Line: A-

The lone position to get an A this season, the offensive line was the strongest it’s been at Michigan in a very long time. While Michigan would be without starting left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. for the first two games, backup Ryan Hayes did well in his place and will certainly be a starter or close to it next season. Left guard Ben Bredeson had another solid season, starting center Cesar Ruiz was great once again, and he declared for the draft after another great year, and starting right guard Michael Onwenu was huge once again.

The big battle at right tackle between Andrew Stueber and Jalen Mayfield ended before the season started as Stueber tore his ACL. Mayfield would play well as the starting right tackle and will look to defend his job in 2020 as Stueber returns and will be looking to start at that position or left tackle, possibly even at guard too.

When reviewing the season as a whole, the coaches got to get involved too…
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Michigan C Cesar Ruiz declares for 2020 NFL draft

Michigan center Cesar Ruiz is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft

An already deep class of center prospects is getting another strong addition from the Big Ten.

Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft. He made his announcement via social media Friday.

A 6-4, 319-pound junior, Ruiz has made 25 of his 30 career starts at center, but his experience at guard shows the kind of versatility that will be valuable to NFL teams. One of the best pass-blocking centers in the nation, Ruiz could warrant Day 2 consideration, and he could end up being a plug-and-play starter in the right situation.

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Michigan C Cesar Ruiz declares for NFL Draft

The Wolverines will have to completely reload their offensive line.

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Michigan will have to find a new center in 2020.

The Wolverines will already have to reload the bulk of its offensive line, with Jon Runyan Jr., Ben Bredeson and Michael Onwenu graduating. Center Cesar Ruiz — a New Jersey native, who played high school ball at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy — has another year of intercollegiate eligibility remaining, but now it doesn’t matter as it pertains to the future of the program.

The junior center took to Twitter on Friday to announce that he will forgo his final season at the college level and will try his hand at the pro level, as he’s announcing his inclusion into the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the former four-star departing, Michigan will now look to fill out a whole new offensive line. Jalen Mayfield is entrenched at one of the tackle positions, and Ryan Hayes — who started in the first two games with Runyan unable to go with injury — assuredly will fill in at the other. The interior is less clear, however, with Chuck Filiaga likely being at one of the guard spots.

Freshman Zach Carpenter reportedly has played well at the center position in his first year.

Players share why Shea Patterson has upped his game recently

How Shea Patterson upped his game to suddenly live up to his five-star status.

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WINTER GARDEN, FL — Michigan’s offense really turned itself around midseason, with the noticeable uptick coming after halftime at Penn State. The biggest component that has helped propel these Wolverines? Senior quarterback Shea Patterson.

Until that point, while there were moments where Patterson looked the part of his former five-star ranking, it wasn’t consistent — which, given what he was asked to do in his first year in Ann Arbor made sense. Michigan’s offense was predicated mostly on being a game manager at the quarterback position, and not making mistakes. However, with the offseason hire of Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator, expectations rose sharply, given Patterson’s reputation as a gunslinger while at Ole Miss.

But it took a moment for ‘speed in space’ to take ahold, and one it had, Patterson didn’t look back.

While the next two games for the Wolverines weren’t barnburners through the air, the final three were. The Notre Dame contest was predicated on the run, given the inclement weather, and against Maryland, Michigan looked mostly to get in and out of town.

But against Michigan State, Indiana and even Ohio State, Patterson had his best three games, yardage-wise, as a Wolverine, passing for over 300 yards in each — the first time in Michigan football history that a quarterback has had three consecutive 300 yard games.

His former teammate in high school at IMG Academy, center Cesar Ruiz, spoke during fall camp about Patterson doing ‘Shea things’ like what he had seen out of him as a five-star recruit. Once Michigan’s offense started clicking again, that’s precisely what Ruiz saw again out of his signal caller.

“I just saw him playing football,” Ruiz said. “Just being comfortable, not worrying about a lot of things, just going out and doing what he does, just playing football.”

Comfortability seems to be the key here. But how does one get comfortable in a new system?

Gattis’ pro-spread seemed tailor-made for a listed pro-style quarterback who has shown a proclivity towards scrambling. But Patterson — who was hurt on the very first play from scrimmage in 2019 — didn’t look comfortable until said Penn State game.

But it wasn’t just health that propelled him. It was also a strong desire to know all of the ins and outs of the offense he was running. Once he had a full command of the new playbook, that’s when Michigan’s offense really took off.

“I think he just feels really comfortable in the offense right now,” senior tight end Sean McKeon said. “Countlessly watching film, studying — more than I ever have and he did it this season. I feel like he knew the offense in and out, knew his reads. He’s gotten a lot better at reading coverages, too, which is what to attack.”

Now Patterson has maybe his biggest test of his career, save for those games against Ohio State.

Patterson began his career in the SEC, trying to face down a staunch Alabama team that ruled the college football landscape. The sole time he faced the Crimson Tide, in 2017, it did not go well. First, Alabama was ranked No. 1 in the country, as it were. Patterson threw for under 50% as a true sophomore, playing in his seventh career game, throwing for just 165 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns.

This year, Patterson gets an opportunity to even the score, a chance at redemption. And having some familiarity, having prepared for and played Alabama before, despite the horrific stat line, it could be just the key for the departing senior quarterback.

“Obviously, they weren’t as good of a team as we are now when they played Alabama,” McKeon said. “He knows some of those guys, knows how they play. Just gotta focus and take everything really serious. I know we’re at a bowl game and we have fun activities, but we gotta focus in on football when it’s time to play football.”

Patterson will suit up in the maize and blue for the final time come Jan. 1, when Michigan takes on Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Predicting who returns to Michigan in 2020

Michigan football has many players who could leave for the NFL draft after the Citrus bowl. Who has a high risk of leaving or returning?

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The final game of the 2019 season is coming up quick for the Michigan football team. They take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, January 1 at 1 p.m. in the Citrus Bowl. While the matchup is what everyone is talking about, there are two other questions people are asking and wondering before the game.

Who will be playing in the game, and who will be declaring for the NFL draft? While players participating in the bowl game in the past few years has been a controversial subject, Michigan expects it to be all hands on deck against Alabama as no players are expected to miss the bowl game this year.

The NFL declarations though, those haven’t been finalized just yet. Underclassmen have until January 20 to decide whether they are going to the NFL draft, or return to college for another year or two depending on their class. So far, only one Michigan player has declared for the draft, linebacker Josh Uche.

Now no information is known on whether any of these players will return or leave, this is solely a prediction. First, let’s get the easy one out of the way.

QB  Shea Patterson – Leaves

This one is the most obvious of them all. Quarterback Shea Patterson could possibly pursue a fifth-year of eligibility, but he’s already accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Game to help his NFL draft stock. While that doesn’t mean he is officially leaving, it’s a sign that he’s ready to move on.

Patterson has said he hasn’t thought about a possible fifth-year of eligibility and there honestly isn’t a reason for him to return. Patterson has had a solid career at Michigan, throwing for 5,428 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. While the 2021 NFL Draft class isn’t as loaded at the quarterback position as the 2020 NFL Draft class, Patterson has shown everything he can do at Michigan. Against Alabama too, it’s the perfect game to go out on.

WR Nico Collins – Stays

One of the top two wide receivers for Michigan that could declare for the draft this year is Nico Collins. Collins came onto the scene last year with former Michigan wide receiver Tarik Black getting injured before the season started. Since then Collins has been a big part in the Michigan passing game, known for his catches in coverage, drawing pass interference penalties and gaining big chunks of yardage as the deep threat.

In his three years at Michigan, Collins has 74 catches for 1,340 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s shown his potential to be an NFL wide receiver, but this class is deep and there are more talented players than him out there right now. He’s improved since last season, but not enough to put him higher on a draft board. A senior year would be perfect for him to be a possible first-round wide receiver in 2021.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones – Leaves

The other star wide receiver getting attention is Donovan Peoples-Jones. Peoples-Jones had a slow start at Michigan during his freshman year, but in 2018 he broke out and had another good year this season. While his numbers aren’t impressive to receive a first-round grade, if he can do well at the combine, he could see himself as a second-round pick.

In his three years at Michigan, Peoples-Jones has 102 catches for 1,293 yards with 14 touchdowns, along with 88 punt returns for 745 yards and two touchdowns. Peoples-Jones made some spectacular catches this season and his potential alone is the reason why he could declare.

TE Nick Eubanks – Stays

Backup tight end Nick Eubanks could declare for the NFL draft, and with starting tight end Sean McKeon graduating, Eubanks is projected to start next season at the position. Eubanks also hasn’t had that impressive of a career so far at Michigan, getting just 34 catches for 458 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers aren’t eye-popping and while Eubanks is talented, another year at Michigan would certainly help his chances at getting drafted in 2021. A good performance against Alabama though could possibly turn some heads.

C Cesar Ruiz – Leaves

Out of all of the players on this list, this one is the biggest one of them all. Starting center Cesar Ruiz returning would be a huge boost for an offensive line that is losing a lot next season. Left tackle Jon Runyan Jr, left guard Ben Bredeson, and right guard Michael Onwenu are all graduating. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield will return, so if Ruiz leaves, only one returning offensive lineman will be back in 2020.

Ruiz returning would be a big boost for the interior offensive line, and with tackle Andrew Stueber returning from his injury, that’d be three experienced linemen on the 2020 squad instead of two. Ruiz is one of the top centers in this draft class though, so his odds of getting drafted high are possible.

DT Michael Dwumfour – Stays

After having a powerful 2018 season, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour didn’t have an impressive 2019 campaign to add on top of it. He is eligible to be a fifth-year senior and that would be a good option for him.

Dwumfour has 33 total tackles, six and a half tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass deflections, and an interception. His NFL draft stock isn’t high as of today as is, so another year wearing the winged helmet could give him a chance at getting his name called in April 2021.

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