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USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan's 2025 position groups, led by Underwood, show stock upticks at QB, RB, WR, LB
There aren't many who think that the Wolverines will be in a prime position to get to the College Football Playoff in 2025, for myriad reasons. Despite having the easiest schedule in the Big Ten in terms of opponent winning percentage last year, many say that the schedule is too hard. Despite having a potential generational quarterback in Bryce Underwood, who is often compared to former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, the talk is of him being a true freshman. They speak of the losses (Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, Josaiah Stewart, Kalel Mullings, and Donovan Edwards), without analyzing the roster for what it is. With that in mind, we're taking a look at each position group and deciding whether it's better at this juncture in fall camp compared to any time last year, worse, or even. Here are our positional stock rankings. Quarterback - stock up The Wolverines' quarterback room wasn't exactly lighting things up last year. In terms of yards per attempt, Michigan was the worst in the nation. Thus -- there's nowhere to go but up. With the combination of a generational passer (even if he is a true freshman) and a new offensive coordinator in Chip Lindsey, this room should be world's better than it was a year ago. However, it doesn't appear that the expected backup, Mikey Keene, is full strength in fall camp, so if something happens to Underwood, it could be either journeyman Jake Garcia or redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis -- both of whom could be serviceable, but also a notable downgrade on Underwood. Still, Underwood doesn't need to be a hero if he starts. He just has to be efficient -- a la Cade McNamara in 2021. That, really, isn't too much to ask. Offensive line - even This might not be encouraging news, and though there are indications that the offensive line should be better, it's a difficult proposition to think it will return to Joe Moore Award contention. Evan Link at left tackle, at his best, is comparable to Myles Hinton last year. Giovanni El-Hadi had a bad year last year but is reportedly better. It took some time for Greg Crippen to come along at center. Andrew Sprague had one (albeit great) game at right tackle. And right guard is still a mystery. All indications are that this unit is better, but for now, we'll call it even. Running back - stock up No offense to Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who had the offense on their shoulders last year, but the tandem of Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes should be better. Marshall only really has one game under his belt, but it was a heckuva game against Alabama. Haynes, a former Alabama player, is ready for a breakout. Who starts doesn't really matter, as they both appear to have skills that crosses bowling-ball intensity and breakout speed. There's question about who might be the third back, but the starting tandem looks more like they can create their own space -- sorely needed after last year's moderate run game. Tight end - stock down This is no offense to the current group, but replacing Colston Loveland is no easy feat. Marlin Klein has reportedly improved greatly this offseason, but we'll need to see it. Hogan Hansen -- who has some Loveland-style traits -- has had some injury concerns this offseason. Max Bredeson, the fullback, returns, however, and he could be more heavily utilized in Chip Lindsey's offense. Jalen Hoffman showed out in the spring game, too. No matter what, this group was going to be stock down without a talent like Loveland in the room. But, it still should be a productive unity. Wide receivers - stock up Outside of a few new names, the cast of characters is mostly the same as last year. But, as it so happens, the names added should improve the productivity of this unitl greatly. Donaven McCulley, who transferred in from IU, is No. 1 -- figuratively and literally -- while Anthony Simpson might be unheralded after coming from UMass. Freshmen Andrew Marsh and Jamar Browder could see early playing time and be productive players. At the same time, reports are that Semaj Morgan and Fred Moore have improved in the offseason. Channing Goodwin, Peyton O'Leary, and Kendrick Bell could also see plenty of playing time and improve on their standing from a year ago. Edge Rusher - even Being even here is actually good news. Derrick Moore returns and pairs now with a full-time TJ Guy in the starting role, while Cam Brandt (named a third starter) and Dom Nichols should figure in quite often. Given that the pass rush was still a strength last year, being even is welcome, not a slight. We saw how the 'backup' line dominated a very good Alabama offensive line, so if it can transfer over to the new year, then Michigan should be in good shape. Defensive tackle - even Same caveat as above, and it seems unreal given that there's no Mason Graham or Kenneth Grant. But the tradeoff of not having those two top 13 picks in the lineup is that the room is deeper, and should thus keep the legs fresher than what that duo had a year ago. There are six nominal starters at this point -- Rayshaun Benny, Tré Williams, Damon Payne, Trey Pierce, Ike Iwunnah, and Enow Etta. Each is fearsome in their own right. And the waves of rotation should terrorize opposing offenses. Linebacker - stock up It's the same starting duo from last year, but Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham started slow and finished strong. Add in an improved Jimmy Rolder and an emerging Cole Sullivan, and suddenly, this is an increasingly deep room. And transfer Troy Bowles and (potentially healthy) Jaydon Hood round out a rotation that could truly dominate the middle of the defense. Safety - even This could also be stock up, but we're withholding that until it's clear that Rod Moore is returning close to his old form -- and there are some indications that that might not be the case. Even so, with Brandyn Hillman, Mason Curtis, the Metcalf brothers, Jaden Mangham, and Jacob Oden, this group is deep and potentially formidable. Cornerback - stock up The reason why this group is stock up is because it played for more than half a year without Will Johnson, and we now know what the Wolverines will be getting in Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill. Both should be solid, but it's not clear if they'll be spectacular. But they should be helped out by the other nine players on defense, even if they're not of Johnson's caliber. The question, more so, is depth, as Jo'Ziah Edmond and freshman Shamari Earls are the likely backups. There isn't as much going on in terms of rotation, but given that the group made do without Will Johnson -- and did well late in the year last year -- indicates that this is a secondary on the rise. Special teams - even Dominic Zvada returns as the place kicker, Hudson Hollenbeck (who kicked in the ReliaQuest Bowl) also returns, and longsnapper Greg Tarr reprises his role after playing half the year (admirably) in 2022. The Wolverines should be fine with a bevy of options at returner, including Semaj Morgan.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans 53-Man Roster 2025: The most concerning story nobody is giving enough attention, and glaring proof for OL optimism
Titans 53-Man Roster 2025: The most concerning story nobody is giving enough attention, and glaring proof for OL optimism originally appeared on A to Z Sports. Before you decide that offensive line talk is boring and click away, what if I told you the most important questions for the Tennessee Titans in 2025 pertain to just a handful of these big boys? Advertisement This is the interior offensive line portion of an ongoing article series, breaking down the Titans projected 53-man roster one position at a time. So far we've covered quarterbacks, Kalel Mullings' role, Tyjae Spears' most important season ever, and Tony Pollard's potential ceiling. In this installment, we have to ask the question that most are ignoring about Lloyd Cushenberry. Then, I want to explain why you should be higher on the Titans OL depth, a very important thing, than you are. Let's dive in: Offensive Tackles JC Latham Dan Moore John Ojukwu Cut: Jaelyn Duncan, Olisaemeka Udoh, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson Advertisement Guards Peter Skoronski Kevin Zeitler Jackson Slater Blake Hance Cut: Andrew Rupcich, Chandler Brewer Centers Lloyd Cushenberry Corey Levin Cut: Sam Mustipher, Brenden Jaimes The Cushenberry Question We may look back in a couple of months on C Lloyd Cushenberry as the most under-discussed story of the offseason. The highly-paid 2024 free agent acquisition went down in Week 9 against the Patriots with a torn Achilles. That ended his season on November 3rd. Week 1 of the 2025 season is September 7th in Denver, which will be just over 10 months post-injury. And while that's within the predictive range for return to play, an Achilles injury is amongst the most finicky. So much of the concern we used to have for major injuries has been minimized or erased completely by the miracles of modern sports medicine. When a guy tore his ACL 40 years ago, there was a decent chance it could end his career. Today, we say 'see ya next season'. Advertisement But the Achilles is one we still haven't quite mastered. Some studies indicate as few as 1/3 of athletes return to the level of play they achieved before tearing an Achilles. And as many as 1/3 end up retiring. Those aren't great odds! So is it time to panic over Cushenberry? Well, there's some important context here to consider. Achilles injuries are most common in older players, so a good number of those who end up retiring are sometimes nearing the twilight of their career already. Cushenberry is a spritely 27 years old, so he's a bit of a different case than, say, 40 year old Aaron Rodgers tearing his. He is also, by all accounts, progressing well on schedule to try to play in Week 1. So maybe he'll be one of the success stories! I just think everybody needs to brace themselves for a couple of uncomfortable outcomes. There's a decent chance he's not ready for Week 1, and perhaps beyond. There's also a decent chance that whenever he does come back, he takes time to return to a high level of play. Perhaps it's a couple weeks. But it could easily be a couple months. How often do we point to 'the year after the year' with injuries, especially in hindsight? Depth… A Sneaky Bright Spot? So what happens if Cushenberry can't be your guy for a while? What happens if any of these starters on the line go down, for that matter? Well, it's not great news. But in the NFL these days, it never is. Advertisement The Titans have legitimately serviceable interior OL depth if Cushenberry needs time, or 35 year old Kevin Zeitler gets banged up, or even if Peter Skoronski suffers an untimely injury. They have the bodies to weather the storm. C Corey Levin is the change I made in this depth chart projection, and it's because of the way his coaches talked about him. Listen to this from Coach Callahan at the podium: 'The guy that I really think deserves some public praise is, Corey Levin, with Lloyd (Cushenberry III) being out, we brought Corey back to be able to run the show and Corey's a veteran player. He is a savvy, scrappy, intelligent interior guy that's really helped us run our offense over the course of the offseason without Lloyd. Really, really pleased with what he's done for us. Really happy that we have him because he's very capable and he started games for us at the end of the year last year and he started the games in his past. I've been very pleased with his performance. Again, if that guy is a depth piece, then that's fantastic for us.' Well, that's about as clear cut as it gets. Hand up, I was an idiot for leaving him off my initial projection. Should've known better. He's not the only guy that elicits confidence, though. The other change I made on this projection was moving Blake Hance to the list of guards. It's hard to say what Hance will be for Tennessee yet. I thought he was being brought in to compete for the primary swing tackle position. But the last time he played significant tackle snaps was a while ago. When we asked his coaches about him, they indicated they're working him in at every position on the line. So maybe he'll just be their 6th lineman, no matter the position? August will clarify that for us. But they're happy to have him in the fold too. Then there's rookie Jackson Slater, who I'm high on to develop into a starting guard in 2026. If he needs to be tapped before then in a backup role, I think he'll be able to handle that. Advertisement At tackle, the picture is much murkier. Hance could be that guy. So could John Ojukwu, who I wrote more about in the tackle edition of this series. And then there's rookie Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, who I'm intrigued to see in pads. He ran the SEC gauntlet of pass rushers pretty cleanly last year, that's all I'm saying! All told, I'm pretty pleased with where the depth of this unit is as compared to last year. I remember when we were discussing guys like Ojukwu and Duncan as OL6/7. Now, we're talking about them as fringe roster guys at OL9/10. That just about sums up the progress I think they've made here. Related: By playing less, the Titans' best offensive player last season could unlock an even higher gear with Cam Ward in 2025 Related: Boom or bust season for Titans running back in 2025 who has one last shot to insert himself into Tennessee's future plans Related: Titans rookie looks to be the successful version of a Mike Vrabel Era failed experiment as a roster lock in 2025 View the original article to see embedded media. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee Titans rookies Kevin Winston and Kalel Mullings still recovering from injuries
Tennessee Titans rookies Kevin Winston and Kalel Mullings still recovering from injuries The Tennessee Titans are finishing up their rookie minicamp, marking the first chance to see this class in action on the field. Unfortunately, two of their draft choices couldn't participate in the on-field activities and were limited to individual workouts due to injuries. After the session, head coach Brian Callahan acknowledged the incident and gave a brief injury update. Third-round pick Kevin Winston and sixth-round pick Kalel Mullings will be eased into the offseason program due to their pre-existing injury conditions. After selecting Winston, the team mentioned his ACL injury. While he is progressing and will be around the team doing individual drills, it does not appear that he will be available until the start of training camp. Mullings underwent core muscle surgery after his college season and is recovering. No timeline was given for his return. Both players have already signed their four-year rookie contracts and can continue rehab at the team's facility while continuing the offseason program. Official OTA practices with veterans start Monday in Nashville.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans Sign 23-Year-Old 1,000-Yard RB to Contract
The Tennessee Titans decided to wait until the sixth round to draft a running back when they selected Kalel Mullings. However, that wasn't the last running back move they made. According to Blaine Kellar, the Titans have signed former Utah running back Micah Bernard as an undrafted free agent. Advertisement Bernard spent all six years of his college career playing for the Utes, but it wasn't until last season that he really broke out. He rushed for a career-high 1,009 yards on 5.1 yards a carry. He also caught 30 passes for the Utes. Bernard may also be underrated as an athlete. New Tennessee Titans RB Micah Taormina-Imagn Images Back in 2022, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman named Bernard to his annual "Freak List," coming in at No. 70. "He played both ways for the Utes in the Rose Bowl, starting at corner when the team desperately needed his help there. He made a team-high 10 tackles and also ran for 31 yards and had a receiving touchdown. For the season, he ran for more than 500 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry and led Utah backs with 26 catches and 251 yards. The 6-0, 202-pound sophomore broad-jumped 10-9 1/2, clocked 4.42 in the 40 and vertical-jumped 38 1/4. Teammate Clark Phillips gushed about Bernard's Freak credentials, pointing out the guy who is barely 6 feet can do 360 dunks." Advertisement Now, 2022 was a long time ago, so it's notable that Bernard wasn't able to get back on the "Freak List" this offseason. That said, he averaged 5.3 yards per carry in college and could be an intriguing project for the Titans. Related: Titans QB Cam Ward Issues Strong Message on Shedeur Sanders Related: Mike Borgonzi Turns Heads With Comments About Titans QB Will Levis
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL draft: Tennessee Titans select RB Kalel Mullings
2025 NFL draft: Tennessee Titans select RB Kalel Mullings The Tennessee Titans' final pick of the 2025 NFL draft comes in the sixth round with the 188th overall pick. With that selection, the Titans selected running back Kalel Mullings from Michigan. Mullings was part of the Michigan Wolverines for five seasons. In 2020, he was available as a reserve running back for six games and in 2021, he was available as a reserve linebacker for 13 games. In 2022, he appeared in 13 games as both a linebacker and a running back. In 2023, he played in 13 games as a reserve running back, and in 2024, he received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, leading the Wolverines with 948 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. While not a well-known player, Mullings can clearly play on either side of the ball. As a running back, his defensive mind aids his blocking ability, and as a linebacker, his offensive mind can seek out his opponents with ease. He will join Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut, and Bryce Oliver in the Titans' running backs room in 2025.
