Tag: Josh Uche

2020 Senior Bowl: 5 pass rushers for the Eagles to watch

2020 Senior Bowl: 5 pass rushers for the Eagles to watch

We’re just moments away from kickoff at the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl and with the Eagles holding 10 picks in the NFL draft, it’ll be imperative for Howie Roseman and company to evaluate the best senior talent in America.

With Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson getting up there in age, it’ll be imperative for the Eagles to land some young talent along the defensive front.

Here are five pass rushers, regardless of the position that the Eagles should watch.

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1. Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina.

Kinlaw destroyed the competition during the first two days of practice and after shutting it down for precaution, the former Gamecocks star may have dominated his way into the top of the first round. Kinlaw is a defensive tackle but flashed intense pass-rushing prowess from the inside.

Kinlaw can improve as a pass rusher, but with Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson aging, the Eagles could be tempted by an out of this world athlete.

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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.

Scouts, media rave about former Michigan defender at Reese’s Senior Bowl

The former Wolverines linebacker is making a big impression in his time down in Mobile, Alabama.

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Down in Mobile, Alabama, practices are well underway for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which takes place on Saturday.

While much discussion has surrounded quarterback Shea Patterson and how much he can improve his draft stock with a solid performance, another former Wolverine has really stood out in the eyes of both the media and scouts in attendance.

Naturally, Michigan fans are well-versed at former SAM linebacker Josh Uche’s ability, but now that he has more of a national audience, he seems to be taking things to yet another level, with the eyes of the NFL firmly upon him.

He’s made such an impression, that sister site Chargers Wire‘s managing editor, Gavino Borquez, claims that Uche had the best day among anyone on the North team in Wednesday’s Reese’s Senior Bowl practice.

What’s more, scouting website Cover1.net had some glowing reviews from what they saw from Uche this week.

Joshua Uche, LB, Michigan

From the defensive line group, Uche might have gained the most buzz today. He was incredibly consistent on just about every rep. He explosive and showed off his athletic ability and lower body movement. He checked into the Senior Bowl at 6-1 and 241 pounds, so he’ll be undersized to have a consistent role off the edge but he moves well in space and could see playing time at outside linebacker. Whatever is decided, he’s built off a strong day with his disruptiveness and versatility.

He wasn’t alone in capturing that site’s eye, with Ben Bredeson also getting some recognition right up top.

Ben Bredeson, OG, Michigan 

Every time you turned and watched the offensive line, Bredeson from Michigan was impressing me with something. He’s not flashy but he’s consistent and knows how to work within his limited frame at 6-4 and 316 pounds with 31.5-inch arms. Some of his footwork could be refined and it should be with NFL coaching but he looks like he’s ready for the NFL and it wouldn’t surprise me if teams like the Detroit Lions or New England Patriots fall in love with him.

But Uche certainly seemed to be the star of the show, showcasing his versatility and ability in a big way.

Uche told MLive.com after practice that he likens himself to a famous painter, noting that his skill is something of ‘an art form.’

“I feel like Picasso,” Uche said, making what is perhaps the first ever comp to the Spanish painter in NFL draft history. “Some guys think of (pass rushing) more as a robotic action. They’re like, ‘OK, on this step I got to do this. I got to work this, then that,’ and (it’s) very stiff and it doesn’t look fluid. It’s not a fluid art form. But some guys, it’s in their head and it comes naturally.”

Should he continue to show out as many have noted, it’ll be difficult to keep Uche from getting selected relatively high in April’s NFL Draft in Las Vegas.

Check out multiple videos of Uche’s Wednesday performance below.

Videos

 

 

2020 Senior Bowl: 7 prospects to watch on defense

The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason. Here are 7 prospects on defense they should be watching this week.

The road to the 2020 NFL Draft starts in Mobile with the Senior Bowl, where Bears scouts will have the chance to get to know some of the top prospects in this draft class.

More than 100 of the top collegiate seniors from schools all over the country will participate in this year’s Senior Bowl, which will take place on Jan. 25.

But prior to then, practices during the week leading up to the game give front offices a chance to evaluate players on the field and meet with them off the field.

The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason. Let’s take a look at seven prospects on defense they should be watching closely this week.

1. CB Lamar Jackson, Nebraska

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears could be facing changes in the secondary this offseason, especially with cornerback Prince Amukamara a likely cap casualty. If that’s the case, the Bears will be in the market for a new starting cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller.

Maybe that cornerback is Nebraska’s Lamar Jackson, who had a breakout senior season that has shown that he could be a solid and dependable cornerback in the NFL. Jackson had 40 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 12 pass breakups in 2019.

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Michigan football defense grades from the 2019 season

Michigan football ended its 2019 season 9-4. The defense wasn’t as good as year’s past but was better than most projected. How’d they do?

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2019 was a big year for Michigan’s defensive coordinator Don Brown. He has lost talented players before and simply reloaded, but this year was tougher. A lot of new players would start for him, and with two new defensive coaches underneath him, after both linebackers coach Al Washington and defensive line coach Greg Mattison left for Ohio State. Harbaugh would bring in Anthony Campanile from Boston College to coach the linebackers, and Shaun Nua from Arizona State to coach the defensive line.

The 2019 Michigan football defense was better than most people projected. Headed into the season Brown’s group wasn’t getting the respect they deserved. Even with new starters across the board and new coaches, they still had loads of talent and deserved to be a top-10 defense.

The defense would see new starters at every level. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson would get to start after waiting for his turn. Linebacker Khaleke Hudson sought out to redeem his poor 2018 season. Cornerback Lavert Hill would be the top cornerback alongside Ambry Thomas and Vincent Gray. Michigan would also get to see five-star freshman safety Daxton Hill debut.

Special Teams even had an interesting battle at kicker between Quinn Nordin and Jake Moody as last season ended with a debacle between who would start.

While the defense did better than expected, in the end, it just wasn’t enough as they couldn’t slow down the offenses of Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Alabama. They were given a tough challenge of Army early on in the season too and needed double overtime to take down the Black Knights

With that said, it’s time to review how each position, including head coach and coordinators, did in the 2019 season. I already broke down the offense earlier as it’s the defenses turn to get graded on their performance.

Defensive Line: C

Michigan’s defensive ends would see some new faces start for them. Aidan Hutchinson would be one of them and his sophomore season was a good one, finishing with 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six pass deflections, three and a half sacks, and three forced fumbles. His partner in crime, and the other new starting defensive end, was Kwity Paye, who finished the season with 50 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and six and a half sacks.

While the ends were performing well, the defensive tackles are where Michigan had some trouble creating pressure. Carlo Kemp would be one of the starters and finished with 40 total tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. Michael Dwumfour would be playing through an injury for most of the season according to Dwumfour, and his play was affected greatly, finishing with just nine total tackles, two pass deflections, one and a half tackles for loss and just half a sack in the seven games he played in.

The depth behind the players wasn’t as rich as years past. Defensive tackle Chris Hinton would play in Dwumfours absence and didn’t have much production either, finishing with just 10 total tackles and half a tackle for loss. Defensive end Mike Danna, a transfer from Central Michigan, would play and help out with his veteran presence, finishing with 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Defensive end Luiji Vilan would finally see the field after missing two seasons with injuries, and he had seven total tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble this year.

Linebacker: B
Josh Uche would continue to build himself up for the NFL, finishing the season with 33 total tackles, 10.5 tackle for loss, team-high seven and a half sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection. Devin Gil saw a step back in playtime, only appearing in six games and finishing with nine total tackles and a half a tackle for loss.
The biggest thing about the group this year was the emergence of Cam McGrone. Josh Ross was starting before him and finished the year with 18 total tackles in just three games before getting injured. McGrone stepped in for Ross and ever since then Ross hasn’t seen the field, despite being healthy enough to play. McGrone finished the year with 65 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble, and a pass deflection.
Cornerback: B-

Michigan got a boost for its secondary this year with Lavert Hill deciding to return for his senior year last year, and it ended up being the right choice in the end. Hill finished the year with 16 total tackles, nine pass deflections, three interceptions, and a tackle for loss. While it wasn’t an eye-popping season, he still overall played well.

The real star was Ambry Thomas, who overcame colitis in August, after not knowing when he’d return, and had a huge sophomore season, finishing with 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three pass deflections, and three interceptions, along with two fumble recoveries. With Thomas moving up to second-string, Vincent Gray would be moved up to third and overall had a quiet season. He finished with 20 total tackles, five pass deflections, and a tackle and a half for loss.

Safety: B-

Safety Josh Metellus made the right choice in returning to Michigan in 2019 for his senior year also, as he had a career-high 74 total tackles this season, along with five pass deflections, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Brad Hawkins was his original starting partner, finishing the season with 53 total tackles, and a pass deflection. An injury to Hawkins would force him to miss some time, but in the meantime, his playing time would get reduced due to five-star freshman Daxton Hill taking over in his absence.

Hill had an interesting year. While he would start the year on special teams, with Hawkins injury he moved towards defense and his role at safety. While Hill didn’t blow up the stat sheet like many were hoping for, along with showing signs of being a freshman, he was able to impress during his playtime. He had 36 total tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.

Now onto the special teams and coaching…
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Five Wolverines accept invites to participate in Reese’s Senior Bowl

If you thought that just SAM linebacker Josh Uche and tight end Sean McKeon would be the sole representatives for Michigan in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, think again. On Tuesday, the NFL Draft showcase for league scouts featuring outgoing seniors …

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If you thought that just SAM linebacker Josh Uche and tight end Sean McKeon would be the sole representatives for Michigan in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, think again.

On Tuesday, the NFL Draft showcase for league scouts featuring outgoing seniors revealed the full list of college football players who had accepted invites to participate in the Jan. 25 bowl game in Mobile, Alabama and the maize and blue are the second-most represented school on the list.

With five soon-to-be former players having accepted invites, it promises to be a maize and blue affair, with only the Utah Utes having more representatives with six.

The aforementioned Uche and McKeon were announced shortly after the culmination of the regular season as participants, but three more are joining.

Michigan QB Shea Patterson accepted his invitation to participate, meaning that, like McKeon, he’ll be going straight from the East-West Shrine Bowl in Florida directly to the Reese’s Senior Bowl the following week.

Also participating in the prestigious all-star game will be safety Josh Metellus and left guard Ben Bredeson.

But first, naturally, the five have one more game to play in maize and blue, with the VRBO Citrus Bowl coming up Jan. 1 vs. Alabama.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30PM CT at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile on Jan. 25. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

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Schemmy Awards: Defensive Player of the Year

One defensive player stood out above all the rest.

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Michigan’s strength the past several years has been on the defensive side of the ball. If there’s one thing that’s always for certain, the Wolverines will field a top ten defense.

Thus, it’s a difficult proposition to pick one player and say they’re the best.

At the annual Schemmy Awards, formerly the Michigan football bust, only one award could be given out to Defensive Player of the Year, especially considering that it’s a distinction voted on by the team.

With players like Khaleke Hudson, lockdown corner Lavert Hill and defensive skill player of the year Ambry Thomas, it makes it that much more of an honor to be selected as the best of the best. But that was the case for senior SAM linebacker Josh Uche.

Uche broke out in 2018, but he had an even better year as a versatile, every down-type of player in the 2019 regular season. He bested his team-leading sack total from a year ago, with a team-best 8.5 sacks this season.

This was Uche’s final year in Ann Arbor, as he’s already announced he will forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Michigan LB Josh Uche declares for NFL Draft

The Wolverines best pass rusher in 2019 is moving on to the next level.

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After four years in Ann Arbor, one of Michigan’s best pass rushers is moving on.

With a year of eligibility remaining, Wolverines SAM linebacker Josh Uche announced that he will forgo his final season, declaring for the NFL Draft.

The 2019 season was Uche’s best, as he led the team with 8.5 sacks and was second to only Kwity Paye in tackles for loss with 11.5.

Uche burst onto the scene in 2018 with 7 sacks and 8 tackles for loss. He played sparingly in both 2016-17, and redshirted in 2016.

Per his announcement, Uche does intend to play in the bowl game.

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5 Players to Watch Against Ohio State

Michigan football takes on Ohio State in the season finale as the Wolverines try and pull off an upset. Who are the five players to watch?

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Michigan’s biggest challenge of the year, Ohio State, is this week as the Wolverines look to try and pull off something nobody has been able to do this season, beat the Buckeyes. Michigan is coming off a 39-14 win over Indiana. Ohio State is coming off a 28-17 win over Penn State that made the Buckeyes look human.

Ohio State’s playoff hopes are on the line this week as a loss would put them up in the air. A win in the Big Ten championship off a loss to Michigan would put them right back in the fight. A loss could still be something as if they beat Michigan, then lose in the title game next week, their season could be over. Beating Michigan gives them a cushion if they lose the conference championship game next week.

Michigan would love nothing more than to ruin the Buckeyes playoff hopes and undefeated season. For that to happen, they will need everyone to help out and contribute to their absolute best. Check out which five players to watch for Saturday’s game below.

1. QB Shea Patterson – MICHIGAN

When you talk about Michigan’s recent success, it all starts with the quarterback play by Shea Patterson. Patterson has been playing the best football he’s ever played lately, throwing for 1,001 yards, 12 touchdowns and an interception in his team’s four-game winning streak. Patterson is taking control of the offense and doing things we haven’t seen until recently.

He’s taking shots downfield, letting his receivers go up and grab the football where the defender can’t grab it. He isn’t running as much as he was earlier in the year, but that can certainly change this week when going up against the best defense in the country. Patterson needs to keep playing with the hot hand that he’s had recently if he wants to keep his record in Ann Arbor without a loss.

For Ohio State’s offense, their quarterback who is in the Heisman race this year…
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Two Wolverines make PFF national ‘team of the week’

Two Wolverines got named to the scouting website’s honors after a 39-14 drubbing of Indiana.

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Many saw Michigan’s penultimate regular season game at Indiana as a potential trouble spot. The Hoosiers always play the Wolverines tough, and when it’s been the second-to-last game of the regular season, it’s often been at home. But this one was in Bloomington,

It was close for nearly a half. But then the maize and blue put it away, behind a stellar performance on both sides of the ball.

It was such a stellar performance, in fact, particularly on offense, that scouting website, Pro Football Focus, named two Wolverines to its ‘team of the week,’ as the offensive attack continues to roll.

Naturally, it starts with quarterback Shea Patterson, who had his second consecutive 350+ yard passing attack. He became the first-ever Wolverine to pass for four or more touchdowns in consecutive games in the 39-14 win.

Shea Patterson, Michigan

It didn’t matter the direction, depth or type of coverage that Patterson was throwing into against Indiana on Saturday, he was simply lights out after falling behind 7-14 against a much better Hoosiers team than most give credit for. Patterson threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns, hitting all five touchdowns on throws targeted at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. He has his Wolverines team rolling into their annual showdown with Ohio State, reaching highs that we haven’t seen from him this year at the very right time.

Naturally, his primary benefactor on offense also got a nod, as junior wideout Nico Collins had his best-ever game in maize and blue.

Nico Collins, Michigan

Benefiting from his quarterback’s best performance of the season, Collins hauled in six catches for 165 yards and three scores, securing 78 of those yards after the catch. He was stellar on deep shots, catching 2-of-3 passes targeted at least 20 yards downfield for 43 yards and two touchdowns while he caught 100% of his targets in between the numbers, finishing with a 3-for-3, 124 yards and two touchdown stat line on passes over the middle of the field.

Michigan SAM linebacker Josh Uche also got an honorable mention as an edge defender — behind Ohio State star DE Chase Young.

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