College Football News: Michigan Player Rankings within the Big Ten
Depending on how you look at Michigan's depth chart from the 2019 season, Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff are going to have to replace 10-12 starters from last year's squad. The most notable new faces will be at quarterback and on the the offensive line, but luckily there's quite a bit of talent built up on U-M's roster.
There are also some very good returning players to help with the transition. Four of them, who all played very meaningful roles last year, found their way onto College Football News' 2020 Preseason Top 30 Big Ten Players list, and all of them will be working to improve their draft stock throughout the 2020 season.
16. Nico Collins
At No. 16, Collins is Michigan's highest ranked player. I personally think it's a bit too low, but there are 15 pretty good players ahead of him, including fellow wide receivers Chris Olave (No. 13), Rashod Bateman (No. 7) and Rondale Moore (No. 3).
We've talked about Collins a lot at Wolverine Digest. Most recently, we looked at a Stellar, Standard and Subpar season for the 6-4, 222-pounder, and I think he'll be in the stellar range. He needs to be. In order for Josh Gattis' offense to take another step in year two, Collins needs to be great. He's definitely good enough to do it, he just needs to be put in a position to succeed and team up with a quarterback capable of moving the offense to new heights.
24. Jalen Mayfield
Mayfield has started to make his way into the first round of some 2021 mock drafts, so putting him at No. 24 seems too low to me. Among offensive tackles in the Big Ten, I think I'd probably put him ahead of Wisconsin's Logan Bruss, who came in at No. 19 on the list, but behind Iowa's Alaric Jackson, who's all the way up at No. 6.
At 6-5, 319 pounds and with rare athleticism, Mayfield is good enough to play left tackle, but will probably stay on the right side in 2020 since he's been so good there. He's only coming into his redshirt sophomore season, but will be eligible for the NFL Draft after the 2020 campaign. No one knows if he'll leave yet, but he's big, lengthy, athletic and still developing. All of that translates to the league.
26. Cameron McGrone
I also think McGrone is too low at No. 26. He's got a chance to be one of the more special, playmaking linebackers in the Big Ten this season, and should be in the top 20 at least. There are some very good linebackers ahead of McGrone on this list — Tyshon Fogg (No. 14), Paddy Fisher (No. 12), Jack Sanborn (No. 11), Antjuan Simmons (No. 4) and of course Micah Parsons (No. 2) — but if I'm building a team, Parsons is the only backer I'm taking ahead of McGrone.
McGrone can really run and is going to be better in 2020 as a starter from the jump. He flew around the field last year but was out of position at times. He's going to fix some of those issues and play faster this season, which is a scary thought.
29. Ambry Thomas
I'm glad to see Thomas getting some love. After battling back from colitis last year to start all 13 games for the Wolverines, he deserves to be recognized for his effort and production. He finished the season with 38 tackles, including three for loss, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions.
The only other cornerback ahead of Thomas on the list is Shaun Wade at No. 10, and I'm fine with that. Wade is going to be a first-round pick next spring and has already been a big part of Ohio State's defensive success. Thomas is going to be a mainstay for Michigan this fall, but isn't generating the next-level buzz that Wade is. That could change over the course of the season but for now, he's good toward the back end of the list.
Snubs
I certainly think an argument could be made for Aidan Hutchinson, Kwity Paye and probably Daxton Hill.
If Iowa's Chauncey Golston is listed at No. 22, Hutchinson and Paye should get some love. That's not a slight towards Golston, but Salt and Pepper are the real deal.
As for Hill, as a full-time starter he's going to be everywhere. There isn't one safety on this list, but I think Hill belongs. If true sophomore Zach Harrison out of Ohio State is on the last after making 24 tackles, including five for loss and 3.5 sacks, Hill should be there with his 36 tackles, including three for loss, two fumble recoveries and an interception. They obviously play very different positions, but Hill is going to be one of the best safeties in the conference next year and should be getting recognized as such.
