WTKA Roundtable 5/1/2025: It's Pronounced "Right Guard"

May 1, 2025

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Things Discussed:

Bryce Spring Review: Underwood actually made some JJ throws.
Players who stood out on film review: Deyvid Palepale, more impressed with Jalen Hoffman, Avery Gach (pronounced "Gatch") had lots of +2s and –2s, Jordan Young is always around the ball, made the 4th & 1 stuff.
OL thoughts by position:
- RT & RG: Sprague and Efobi were moving people—impressive when they do it Benny, not so much Bobby Kanka. Efobi is the high ceiling/high floor option, could be Hattar or Link. Gach was getting shoved backwards by Chibi Anwunah, who might be good. Think the battle in fall is Efobi the ceiling, Hattar the floor, Link the wild card.
- LT: ew. When Sam said Michigan should go in the portal for a tackle in spring that wasn't a hopeful statement, and that's how it worked out. Link is a D+, Babalola needs a redshirt, Brady Norton isn't going to happen, period. Ty Haywood, Blake Frazier might compete. Frazier was supposed to a 2-year build and it's been one year, so not expecting that yet. The way Gentry played out last year might have cost them their best option.
- C: Crippen has the job. Guarnera looked good but had some –2s in there. Strayhorn looked big and athletic but completely lost—at one point he stops mid-pull.
WR: McCulley looked good on his one catch, a lot of opportunities to turn around and make a play when they didn't, think Goodwin is a fine 4th or 5th receiver. Semaj has been open, needs QBs to hit him. Haven't seen these guys with good quarterbacking yet so who knows: Bell, Moore, Morgan, Marsh—they could all be good and we wouldn't know yet.
QB: We want to get Underwood running more—that 3rd read should be running not throwing a contested ball.
RPOs: We're gonna see a lot more of them this year under Chip Lindsey, which means we'll see more man coverage, which then gets back to the receivers and who can win 1-on-1.
CB: The flipside is JoJo Edmond was the guy in coverage on a lot of those passes, looks hard to beat, gave up the edge on the big Haynes run. Sug Hill? Sam says without saying that they want to keep him motivated to do things that aren't just his talent.
DT and LB are STACKED. Will be very deep and strong this year and are set next year with Palepale and maybe Anwunah.
Yaxel: Don't get your hopes up; pretty much every mock draft has him 35-38 and those are guaranteed contract positions so we think there's going to be an NBA team willing to put them on their roster next year.
Hockey: Fascinating offseason as Michigan is trying to poach a goalie and most of their new top-six, including the #1 overall pick next year, from Canadian Juniors. Won't know until their playoff ends.