Week 14 Stock Report: Ranking Michigan Football's Top 25 Players
Michigan is 9-3 (6-3) after a blowout loss at the hands of Ohio State. Michigan actually scored first but Ohio State matched the touchdown and eventually pulled away in massive fashion to win 56-27. With the regular season in the books, here's WolverineDigest.com's Stock Report based on in-game performance.
Sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has been No. 1 or No. 2 for most of the year and after a 10-tackle performance against the Buckeyes he's back in the top slot for the entire regular season. The big lineman has been a mainstay all year and rarely came off the field. He'll be a leader and a potential captain heading into 2020.
Two wide receivers are next on the board with junior Nico Collins at No. 2 and sophomore Ronnie Bell at No. 3. Collins finished the regular season with 33 catches for 681 and seven touchdowns, while Bell grabbed 44 balls for 705 yards and a score. The two were very reliable all year and were clearly Patterson's favorite targets in certain situations — Bell on third down and Collins downfield.
Senior captain Ben Bredeson finished the year at No. 4 after solid performance after solid performance. He was a cornerstone on the offensive line and led by example all year along with fifth-year senior Jon Runyan Jr., who finished the year just a couple spots behind at No. 6.
Rounding out the top five is senior quarterback Shea Patterson. Michigan's quarterback strung together several strong performances leading up to The Game, and while his numbers in the first half were great against the Buckeyes, he had to throw it so much in the second half that he finished the day pretty poorly. Going 18-of-43 is obviously not very good but he did compile 305 yards and threw a touchdown as well. The gameplan had to be thrown out Ohio State, which resulted in a subpar overall performance, but Shea climbed the ladder down the stretch of the season.
Donovan Peoples-Jones finished the season at No. 8 after several good games. He caught three balls for 69 yards and a score against Ohio State and finished the year with 33 receptions for 404 yards and six scores. He'd love to go back to Saturday and hang on to a ball in the end zone against the Buckeyes, but he really came on during the last quarter of the year.
Unfortunately, senior safety Josh Metellus had to be bumped down a handful of spots to No. 12. If you think back to a lot of deep touchdown passes against the Wolverines, most notably against Penn State and Ohio State, Metellus was involved. You can argue that sometimes it wasn't his fault, but he wasn't great against the deep ball, which is pretty important as a safety.
Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield developed well over the course of the year and is now sitting at No. 16. He more than held his own against Ohio State's Chase Young, which not many tackles can say. Sure, he might've gotten away with a few holds, but who cares. He's young and still developing, and he went toe to toe with the No. 1 overall pick.
Redshirt freshman Hassan Haskins finished the year as the highest ranked running back at No. 17. Haskins didn't quite catch No. 21 on the list, freshman running back Zach Charbonnet, but he was the better back to finish the year. Haskins carried the ball 103 times for 575 yards and four touchdowns, while Charbonnet carried it 136 times for 654 yards and 11 scores.
It's worth noting that 11 players on the top 25 list won't be back next year. Three true freshmen made the list in Charbonnet, safety Daxton Hill and wide receiver Giles Jackson. Second-year players Bell, Haskins, Mayfield and linebacker Cameron McGrone all made the cut as well, with juniors Collins, Peoples-Jones, defensive lineman Kwity Paye, center Cesar Ruiz, safety Brad Hawkins and cornerback Ambry Thomas all have the opportunity to come back next season.
Who is most noteworthy on the list? What does the list look like for next year? Comment below!!!
